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

Chasity Melvin had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Mystics (3-5), who snapped a two-game losing streak. Charlotte Smith-Taylor added 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks.

Lauren Jackson and Betty Lennox each scored 18 points for the reigning WNBA champion Storm (5-3), who are 1-1 since losing All-Star Sue Bird to a broken nose in Tuesday’s loss to Connecticut.

Monarchs 73, Mercury 61

Sacramento, Calif. – Yolanda Griffith scored 16 points to lead Sacramento over Phoenix, giving the first-place Monarchs their best record ever this far into a WNBA season. Sacramento (6-1) used its deep bench to pull away in the second half.

Sun 77, Comets 57

Houston – Nykesha Sales scored 21 points to lead Connecticut to its fifth straight victory. Margo Dydek had her second straight double-double, adding 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Sun (5-1), who never trailed and won for the first time in Houston.

Fever 62, Liberty 59

Indianapolis – Kelly Miller’s three-point play with less than a second left gave Indiana a victory over New York. Miller, who had 12 points, drove to the basket and hit a short jumper just as the buzzer sounded to end the game.

Shock 69, Sting 55

Auburn Hills, Mich. – Elaine Powell and Cheryl Ford scored 12 points each to lead Detroit past slumping Charlotte.