WASHINGTON (AP) - Finals MVP Maya Moore had 34 points and nine rebounds and the defending champion Minnesota Lynx opened the WNBA season with an 89-77 victory over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.
Seimone Augustus added 24 points for the Lynx. Minnesota led by 17 in the first half, but trailed for the first and last time at 66-65 early in the fourth quarter. Moore's 3-point play with 8:14 started an 11-1 run.
Lindsay Whalen had 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Lynx.
Ivory Latta scored 25 points and made a career-high seven 3-pointers, including six straight in the second half for the Mystics. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt added 17 points.
SPARKS 80, STORM 69
SEATTLE (AP) - Candace Parker scored 18 points, Alana Beard added 17, and Los Angeles - its future uncertain in January after the previous owners suddenly relinquished the franchise - opened the season with a victory over Seattle Storm.
Parker also grabbed six rebounds for the Sparks, who were purchased on Feb. 5 by a group led by former NBA star Magic Johnson and Los Angeles Dodgers controlling owner Mark R. Walter.
Jenna O'Hea led the Storm with 12 points. Sue Bird, making her return to the Storm after missing the entire 2013 season to have a cyst removed from her left knee, had seven points and four assists in 24 minutes.
LIBERTY 75, SUN 54
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) - Cappie Pondexter scored 17 points and Tina Charles added nine points and nine rebounds in her return to Connecticut to help New York rout the Sun.
Rookie Anna Cruz had 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals for New York, and DeLisa Milton-Jones added 10 points and six rebounds.
Former Stanford star Chiney Ogwumike, the first overall pick in the April draft, had 13 points and five rebounds for the Sun. Alex Bentley, with 10 points, was the only other Connecticut player in double figures.
DREAM 79, STARS 75
ATLANTA (AP) - Erika de Souza had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie guard Shoni Schimmel scored all seven of her points in the fourth quarter and matched the franchise record with 11 assists in Atlanta's victory over San Antonio.
Two-time WNBA scoring leader Angel McCoughtry added 21 points for Atlanta, hitting two free throws with 2.4 seconds left put the game out of reach.
Point guard Danielle Robinson scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half for the Stars. Danielle Adams added 18 points for San Antonio.
SKY 74, FEVER 71
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) - Elena Delle Donne had 23 points, Jessica Breland added 13 and Chicago beat Indiana.
Natasha Howard had 16 points and Shavonte Zellous added 14 for the Fever, who led by 18 points in the first quarter.
Indiana had beaten the Sky in 11 of the last 12 meetings, including a two-game sweep in last year in the s playoffs.