Jackson’s 14 Help Storm Get Upper Hand

Lauren Jackson scored 14 points to lead the Seattle Storm to a 70-58 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis on Saturday, marking the franchise’s first playoff win.

Jackson, the league’s top scorer with 20.5 points a game, picked up her third foul with 16:22 to play in the first half. She sat out most of the half, then scored 12 in the second.

Sheri Sam had 11 points and 10 rebounds. The reserves scored 23 points for the Storm, which shot 48% from the field in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Nicole Ohlde led Minnesota with 17 points, and Tamika Williams had 16 points and eight rebounds.

The Storm have two chances to finish off the best-of-three series in Seattle on Monday and Wednesday, if necessary.

Washington 67, Connecticut 59 -- Chasity Melvin had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Mystics at home in the first game of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Alana Beard had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Mystics. Stacey Dales-Schuman and Aiysha Smith scored 10 points apiece.

Lindsay Whalen led the Sun with 16 points. Former Mystic Asjha Jones scored 14 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The best-of-three series resumes Monday night at Connecticut.