NEW YORK — Tamika Whitmore had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the New York Liberty beat the Washington Mystics 70-57 Sunday, improving to 7-0 all-time in home openers.
The Liberty (1-1) controlled the game throughout and shut down Chamique Holdsclaw, Stacey Dales-Schuman and Murriel Page in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference finals.
Washington (1-2) has lost two straight. The frustration started to show in the second half, when coach Marianne Stanley drew a technical foul three minutes into the period for arguing a non-call.
Holdsclaw, the team's best player, led the Mystics with 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting. Coco Miller also had 10.
SUN 83, SILVER STARS 64: In San Antonio, Nykesha Sales scored 22 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Connecticut Sun to a 83-64 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars on Sunday.
The Sun took the lead late in the first half after going on a 21-10 run, and led 34-30 at halftime. Connecticut then pulled away with a 19-3 run in the second half. Adrienne Johnson added 14 points for Connecticut (2-1), while Katie Douglas had 13.
Margo Dydek had 14 points and 12 rebounds for San Antonio (1-3). Semeka Randall added 14 points.
LYNX 68, COMETS 64 (OT): In Minneapolis, Sheri Sam scored 14 points and Katie Smith added 12 to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 68-64 overtime win over the Houston Comets on Sunday.
Cynthia Cooper shot 10-of-11 from the free throw line for Houston, but her lone miss — the only missed Comets free throw of the game — was a big one. It came with 12 seconds left in regulation, and would have put Houston ahead by 1.
Instead, the game went into overtime tied at 61 after a shot by the Lynx's Teresa Edwards was blocked at the buzzer.
The Lynx (3-1) never trailed in overtime. With less than a minute to go and Minnesota up by 2, Sheryl Swoopes picked up a Lynx turnover but missed a layup. Smith made two free throws to ice the game.
Cooper finished with 22 points. Swoopes and Mfon Udoka each added 12 for the Comets (2-2).
The Comets made 18-of-19 from the free-throw line.
Cooper, 40, retired from the WNBA two years ago, and coached the Phoenix Mercury for a season before returning to play this season.