WNBA: Storm blow by Comets despite missing Bird

Lauren Jackson scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Seattle Storm to a 71-55 win over the Houston Comets on Friday night in Houston.

Jackson made 11 of her 17 shots and helped the Storm win their first game without star point guard Sue Bird.

Betty Lennox keyed a pivotal third quarter and finished with 16 points for Seattle, which won for the fifth time in six games after losing three of four.

“In Farmington, Conn., Bird had successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee to remove loose particles.

Bird is expected to miss about two weeks.

Monarchs 85, Lynx 80: At Minneapolis, Nicole Powell scored a season-high 21 points, including the go-ahead basket, and Sacramento held off Minnesota.

Rebekkah Brunson added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Monarchs.

Liberty 82, Shock 81 (OT): At Auburn Hills, Mich., Janel McCarville had a season-high 18 points and career-best 12 rebounds to lead New York to an overtime win over Detroit.

McCarville scored four points in overtime before fouling out. Her teammates watched Detroit’s Deanna Nolan miss a shot with 3 seconds left and hung on for the victory.

Mercury 111, Sun 109 (2OT): At Phoenix, Cappie Pondexter hit a 14-foot shot with 2.1 seconds left in the second overtime to lift the Mercury over Connecticut.

Penny Taylor led the Mercury with 30 points while Pondexter added 25, including 19 in the second half and overtimes.