INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Erin Phillips made a turnaround jumper with 1.5 seconds left that gave the Indiana Fever a 74-72 win over the New York Liberty in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night.
New York's Cappie Pondexter missed a 3-pointer that would have won the game as time expired.
Katie Douglas led the Fever with 25 points. Tamika Catchings scored 15 and Tammy Sutton-Brown added 14. The Fever lost a 15-point lead in the second half but recovered.
Pondexter led the Liberty with 18 points. She had scored at least 20 in six consecutive playoff games against the Fever, dating to her days with Phoenix in 2009. Nicole Powell scored 12 points and Kia Vaughn added 10.
New York will host Game 2 of the best-of-three series on Saturday.
Storm 80, Mercury 61
SEATTLE (AP) - Tanisha Wright scored 21 points, and Camille Little had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead defending WNBA champion Seattle over Phoenix in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series.
Lauren Jackson added 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks for Seattle, which led 69-42 after three quarters. Swin Cash added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Diana Taurasi, who averaged 21.6 for Phoenix to lead the WNBA in scoring for the fourth straight year, had just 11 points. She shot 3 of 11 from the field, including 1 of 5 on 3-pointers. Penny Taylor scored 13, and DeWanna Bonner added 10 - all in the first half - to lead the Mercury.
Phoenix will host Game 2 of the best-of-three series on Saturday.
Little and Cash scored six points apiece as Seattle outscored Phoenix 29-11 in the third quarter. The Storm used a 14-0 run over the final three minutes to take a 69-42 lead at the end of the period.