Monarchs put away Comets in overtime

Yolanda Griffith scored 14 points and Kara Lawson added 12 to lead the Sacramento Monarchs to a 73-69 overtime victory Thursday night over the host Houston Comets in the opening game of the WNBA’s Western Conference finals.

Nicole Powell forced overtime by hitting a desperation 3-pointer with 4 seconds left in the regulation. The Monarchs scored the first six points in overtime and took the lead for good when DeMya Walker made a layup with 4.2 seconds to go.

Walker, who finished with 11 points, played for the first time since Aug. 18 while nursing a sprained right knee.

With a win in either of two games this weekend in Sacramento, the Monarchs will play in the league title series for the first time in history.

Sun 73, Fever 68: Taj McWilliams- Franklin scored 24 points as Connecticut beat Indiana in Indianapolis to open the Eastern Conference finals.