Lynx’s Smith first pro woman to hit 5,000 points

Katie Smith remained understated while reaching a professional milestone.

With another of her famous off-balance shots, she became the first female professional basketball player to reach 5,000 career points in Minnesota’s 71-61 win over Detroit in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

She scored 11 points – just enough to reach the mark – hitting a 14-foot running jumper that banked in with 3:44 left for a 63-54 Lynx lead.

She celebrated with a simple fist pump as the announced crowd of 12,891 cheered.

“It’s neat,” Smith said. “It’s setting a standard, and there’s hopefully more to follow.”

She reached the mark in her seventh WNBA season after playing three seasons for the Columbus Quest of the defunct ABL.

Svetlana Abrosimova scored 22 points for the Lynx, who won their sixth straight home game.

Deanna Nolan had 13 points and reserve Plenette Pierson added 12 points for the Shock, losers of seven of their last nine games.

Mystics 78, Storm 71: At Seattle, Alana Beard and DeLisha Milton-Jones scored 15 points apiece to beat Seattle and lift Washington to its sixth win in eight games.

Scoreless at halftime, Milton-Jones made all four 3-point attempts in the second half for the Mystics. Rookie Tameka Johnson scored 12 points, including a pull-up jumper over Seattle’s Sue Bird with 37.3 seconds left.

Iziane Castro Marques led Seattle with 19 points. Lauren Jackson added 17, but was held to just five in the second half. Bird finished with 16 points after going 0 for 6 in the first half.

Fever 64, Sun 53: At Indianapolis, Tamika Catchings had 18 points, nine rebounds and a league season-high eight steals to lead Indiana over Connecticut.

Kelly Miller scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half for the Fever. Nykesha Sales had 15 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 14 for Connecticut.

Mercury 82, Sting 62: At Phoenix, Diana Taurasi scored 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and had eight assists, leading Phoenix over Charlotte for its third consecutive victory.

Charlotte has lost eight straight road games this season, and 10 in a row since Sept. 8, 2004, against the Minnesota Lynx.

Anna DeForge had 19 points and Penny Taylor 17 for the Mercury. Phoenix was a season-high 58 percent from the field (32 for 55).

Jia Perkins scored a career-high 21 points, Tangela Smith added 17 and Alison Feaster 15 for the Sting.