Taurasi nets 22 in debut

Diana Taurasi scored 22 points in her WNBA debut -- including a 50-foot bank shot at the halftime buzzer -- but Yolanda Griffith led the Sacramento Monarchs to a 72-66 victory last night over the Mercury in Phoenix.

Taurasi fouled out with 34.6 seconds left, falling a point shy of the record for a player in her first WNBA game.

Griffith had 17 points and nine rebounds as the bigger Monarchs outrebounded the Mercury, 34-23.

Taurasi, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft after leading Connecticut to three consecutive NCAA championships, made 7 of 13 shots -- 3 of 6 from 3-point range. She also had three blocked shots.

Australian Penny Taylor, the No. 1 choice in the dispersal draft of players from the defunct Cleveland Rockers, scored 21 for the Mercury on 7-for-9 shooting.

Storm 88, Lynx 85 -- Lauren Jackson scored 31 points and Betty Lennox added 18 in her debut for host Seattle. Jackson, last season's league MVP, had 20 second-half points. She hit 11 of 16 from the floor and made 7 of 8 free throws. She had five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Silver Stars 64, Comets 55 -- Marie Ferdinand scored 20 of her 26 points to lead a second-half comeback by visiting San Antonio.