WNBA : Lynx hold back Storm to hang on to win

Seimone Augustus scored 23 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 5 seconds left, to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 78-76 win over the Seattle Storm on Friday night in Minneapolis.

With the game was tied at 58 after three quarters, Minnesota began the fourth with an 8-0 run and held off a late rally by Sue Bird and the Storm to preserve the win.

Bird almost single-handedly won the game for Seattle. The veteran nailed a 3-pointer and a jumper to tie the game with less than 20 seconds to play. But Seattle turned the ball over with 12 seconds left, setting up Augustus’ winning jumper from the top of the key.

Sun 78, Fever 74: At Indianapolis, Katie Douglas scored a career-high 30 points to lead Connecticut to a victory over Indiana.

Asjha Jones had 16 points, including a three-point play to give Connecticut a 76-74 lead with 27 seconds left.

Silver Stars 70, Liberty 63: At New York, Becky Hammon scored 19 points in her first game back at Madison Square Garden, leading San Antonio over the Liberty.

Hammon, sent to the Silver Stars in a draft-day trade in April, scored seven points in the fourth quarter.

Comets 95, Mystics 85: At Houston, Tina Thompson scored 23 points to lead the Comets to a win over Washington.

Rookie Ashley Shields added 20 points and Hamchetou Maiga-Ba had 16 for Houston.

Shock 87, Mercury 84: At Phoenix, Shannon Johnson scored 23 points, and Detroit rallied from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Mercury.

Detroit ran off 10 straight points while the Mercury missed 12 of their first 14 shots in the fourth quarter.

Sparks 96, Monarchs 88 (2 OT): At Los Angeles, Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 21 points, and the Sparks overcame a 19-point third-quarter deficit to beat Sacramento.

Sherill Baker added 14 points for the Sparks.