Beard’s 16 points lead Mystics past Storm

Alana Beard had 16 points to lead the Washington Mystics to a 64-52 victory over the Seattle Storm Friday night in Washington.

Chasity Melvin had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Mystics, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Charlotte Smith-Taylor added 11 points and five rebounds.

The Mystics blocked seven shots and converted the Storm’s 20 turnovers into 21 points.

Lauren Jackson and Betty Lennox each scored 18 points for the defending WNBA champion Storm, who are 1-1 since losing All-Star Sue Bird.

Shock 69, Sting 55: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Elaine Powell and Cheryl Ford scored 12 points each to lead Detroit to a win over Charlotte.

Fever 62, Liberty 59: At Indianapolis, Kelly Miller’s three-point play with less than a second left gave Indiana a victory over New York.

Sun 77, Comets 57: At Houston, Nykesha Sales scored a season-high 21 points, and Margo Dydek had her second straight double-double, adding 13 points and 12 rebounds, to lead Connecticut past Houston.

Monarchs 73, Mercury 61: At Sacramento, Calif., Yolanda Griffith scored 16 points to lead Sacramento to a win over Phoenix, giving the Monarchs their best record this far into a WNBA season.