Sting’s record start secures win over Lynx

It was the best start in WNBA history.

The Charlotte Sting scored the first 21 points of a 60-50 victory against the Minnesota Lynx in front of a crowd of 8,043 at Charlotte (N.C.) Coliseum on Saturday. The previous record was 18 points to open a game, set by San Antonio in 2003.

Imagine a first-punch knockout, or three holes-in-one or Grand Slams in a row. It was that dramatic and lopsided.

The Sting took the Eastern Conference lead, a half-game ahead of Connecticut. None of Charlotte’s three remaining opponents is better than .500.

The first six minutes were nearly perfect for Charlotte, which won its third consecutive game.

The Sting hit its first five shots, and nine of the first 11. Andrea Stinson, Allison Feaster and Charlotte Smith-Taylor had 3-pointers in the rally, and all five Charlotte starters scored in the first four minutes.

“Everything was looking so good in the beginning,” guard Tynesha Lewis said. “The movement was aggressive.”

Shock 80, Mercury 72: Deanna Nolan scored 16 points to lead visiting Detroit over Phoenix, snapping the Mercury’s four-game winning streak.

Nolan hit a 17-footer with 1:33 left to give Detroit a 70-69 lead, then made six consecutive free throws in the final 51 seconds.

Penny Taylor scored 23 points to lead the Mercury. Diana Taurasi added 19.

Detroit played without leading scorer Swin Cash after she injured her left knee in a collision with Phoenix’s Nikki McCray with 9:18 left in the first half. She was carried off the floor and later was seen on crutches with her leg immobilized.