Storm slip past Shock in battle of last champs

? Lauren Jackson scored 21 points, Sue Bird had 14, and Betty Lennox added 10, leading the Seattle Storm to a 74-71 victory Saturday over the Detroit Shock in a meeting between the last two WNBA champions.

Jackson started and wore a brace on her right ankle, four days after re-injuring the ankle the former MVP had surgically repaired before the season.

Deanna Nolan scored 22 points for Detroit (8-11), which has lost 10 of its last 12 games. Cheryl Ford added 15 points and 16 rebounds.

The Storm (12-10) couldn’t protect a 24-12 lead midway through the first half, but used a 7-0 scoring run late in the second half to build a 67-63 lead with 4:19 to play.

Sparks 69, Comets 59

Houston – Tamika Whitmore scored 20 points to lead Los Angeles in a game that featured technicals on Olympians Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes after a scuffle. Houston trailed 66-52 after Swoopes’ layup with 5:30 left. She then bumped Leslie under the basket, and Leslie responded by shoving Swoopes in the back.

Fever 63, Sting 46

Charlotte, N.C. – Ebony Hoffman and Jurgita Streimikyte each scored 13 points, and Indiana held Charlotte to a season-worst 27 percent shooting.

Mercury 66, Silver Stars 49

San Antonio – Penny Taylor scored 22 points, and Kamila Vodichkova added 19 in place of the injured Diana Taurasi as Phoenix defeated San Antonio.