Liberty Holds Off DeForge, Mercury

Vickie Johnson had 17 points and five assists, and Crystal Robinson scored 16 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 77-69 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in front of 12,976 Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Anna DeForge scored 31 points for Phoenix. She single-handedly kept the Mercury in the game after Shameka Christon’s three-point play gave the Liberty a 45-30 lead just under three minutes into the second half.

DeForge accounted for all of the Mercury’s scoring during a 17-6 run over a five-minute stretch that cut the deficit to four with 10:54 left. But that was the closest they would get.

Minnesota 83, Sacramento 73 -- Katie Smith scored a season-high 34 points to lead the Lynx to an overtime victory in front of 6,324 at Minneapolis.

Smith made 12 of 22 shots, including six three-point baskets. The Lynx scored the first 10 points in overtime, including three-pointers by Smith and Amanda Lassiter.

Connecticut 65, Indiana 61 -- Rookie Lindsay Whalen scored on two driving layups in the final two minutes -- the second with 21.8 seconds left -- to lift the Sun over the Fever in front of 6,748 at Indianapolis.