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Sting Make Playoffs

Associated Press

WNBA

After learning minutes before tipoff that they would qualify for the WNBA playoffs with a victory over the league’s worst team, the Charlotte Sting opened with a 20-4 run and defeated the visiting Utah Starzz 70-52 Sunday night.

In the semifinals Thursday night, Phoenix will entertain New York, while Charlotte is at Houston, the Eastern Conference winner.

“Once we knew the New York score, we knew we had something to play for,” Charlotte coach Marynell Meadors said.

“And I really think that got us over the edge.”

Utah (52) - Koss 0-0 0-0 0, Palmer 4-10 0-0 9, Baranova 1-7 1-2 3, Reiss 1-7 2-2 4, Hardmon 1-10 4-4 6, Hicks 5-11 3-4 13, Williams 2-7 0-2 4, Head 4-11 0-0 8, Carter 2-4 0-0 5, Booker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-67 10-14 52.

Charlotte (70) - Bullett 5-11 3-4 14, Congreaves 2-6 0-0 5, Mapp 6-12 4-4 16, Levesque 1-5 0-0 3, Stinson 6-14 2-3 17, Moore 4-7 0-0 8, Manning 3-5 1-2 7, Suber 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-61 10-13 70.

Halftime-Charlotte 33, Utah 31. 3-Point goals-Utah 2-12 (Palmer 1-1, Carter 1-2, Head 0-1, Hardmon 0-2, Baranova 0-3, Reiss 0-3), Charlotte 6-16 (Stinson 3-6, Bullett 1-1, Congreaves 1-4, Levesque 1-5). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Utah 45 (Baranova 10), Charlotte 43 (Bullett 11). Assists-Utah 12 (Baranova 4), Charlotte 20 (Levesque 8). Total fouls-Utah 16, Charlotte 12. A-8,028 (23,854).

Liberty 79, Rockers 72 (OT) at New York

Kym Hampton, who had a season-high 21 points, and Rebecca Lobo, who finished with 20, each scored four points in overtime as New York, after blowing an 18-point lead, beat Cleveland.

The crowd of 18,051 was the largest of the season at Madison Square Garden.

Cleveland (72) - Nemcova 4-8 4-4 13, Braxton 3-7 9-10 15, Fijalkowski 2-6 4-4 8, Woodard 1-4 0-0 2, Edwards 4-9 1-3 9, Brown 5-8 0-0 10, Jones 5-11 3-4 13, Johnson 1-3 0-1 2, Nicholson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 21-26 72.

New York (79) - Lobo 9-15 2-2 20, Johnson 6-9 0-0 12, Hampton 7-12 7-8 21, Weatherspoon 2-3 4-4 9, Witherspoon 4-15 0-0 11, Trice 1-1 0-0 2, Blades 0-0 0-0 0, Ford 2-3 0-0 4, Wicks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-58 13-14 79.

Halftime-New York 38, Cleveland 25. 3-Point goals-Cleveland 1-5 (Nemcova 1-2, Braxton 0-1, Edwards 0-1, Jones 0-1), New York 4-11 (Witherspoon 3-7, Weatherspoon 1-2, Lobo 0-1, Ford 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Cleveland 28 (Braxton, Fijalkowski 4), New York 36 (Lobo 7). Assists-Cleveland 16 (Nemcova 4), New York 23 (Weatherspoon 8). Total fouls-Cleveland 22, New York 23. A-18,051 (23,854).

Monarchs 68, Comets 58 at Houston

Bridgette Gordon and Pam McGee each scored 16 points and Sacramento pulled away to a win over Houston.

Sacramento (68) - Gordon 6-13 3-4 16, Byears 4-8 0-0 8, Mcgee 7-8 2-4 16, Bolton-Holifield 4-16 4-6 12, Tremitiere 3-11 3-4 11, Abraham 2-5 1-1 5, Yasen 0-1 0-0 0, Savasta 0-1 0-0 0, Graves 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-64 13-19 68.

Houston (58) - Arcain 3-10 0-0 6, Thompson 4-9 2-2 10, Guyton 2-5 1-2 5, Cooper 5-16 6-8 16, Perrot 1-7 0-2 2, Swoopes 3-8 6-6 12, Moore 1-4 0-0 2, Harris 1-2 0-0 2, Woosley 1-3 0-0 3, Jackson 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 21-65 15-22 58.

Halftime-Sacramento 29, Houston 29. 3-Point goals- Sacramento 3-12 (Tremitiere 2-6, Gordon 1-1, Bolton-Holifield 0-5), Houston 1-17 (Woosley 1-2, Thompson 0-1, Arcain 0-2, Swoopes 0-2, Perrot 0-3, Cooper 0-7). Fouled out-None. Rebounds- Sacramento 51 (Gordon 9), Houston 44 (Thompson 9). Assists- Sacramento 11 (Tremitiere 4), Houston 10 (Cooper 5). Total fouls- Sacramento 22, Houston 21. A-14,252.

Mercury 73, Sparks 68 (OT) at Phoenix

Bridget Pettis hit a key 3-pointer in overtime and Jennifer Gillom scored 29 points as Phoenix beat Los Angeles to win the Western Conference title.

Pettis’ 3-pointer gave Phoenix a 67-64 lead with 3:10 remaining in overtime, and she also assisted on Michele Timms’ layup with 2:34 to play. Gillom made a jumper with 1:33 to go to put the Mercury up 71-64.

Los Angeles (68) - Zheng 2-2 0-1 4, Colleton 1-5 0-0 3, Leslie 5-9 0-0 10, Dixon 8-16 6-9 25, Toler 8-18 0-0 16, Charles 0-1 0-0 0, Burgess 2-4 2-3 6, Wideman 2-5 0-0 4, Burge 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 8-13 68.

Phoenix (73) - Foster 1-5 2-4 4, Webb 4-10 1-2 9, Gillom 12-27 4-5 29, Pettis 1-8 0-0 3, Timms 3-7 2-2 9, Askamp 4-10 7-9 15, Hagiwara 0-1 0-0 0, Lieberman-Cline 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 26-71 18-24 73.

Halftime-Phoenix 29, Los Angeles 22. 3-Point goals-Los Angeles 4-12 (Dixon 3-7, Colleton 1-1, Toler 0-1, Charles 0-1, Wideman 0-2), Phoenix 3-12 (Gillom 1-2, Timms 1-3, Pettis 1-5, Webb 0-1, Hagiwara 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Los Angeles 39 (Leslie 14), Phoenix 49 (Pettis, Askamp 9). Assists-Los Angeles 8 (Toler 4), Phoenix 20 (Timms 7). Total fouls-Los Angeles 24, Phoenix 16. Technicals-Leslie, Pettis. Flagrant fouls- Dixon. A-17,747.