Monarchs Earn Shot at Crown

The Sacramento Monarchs earned the city’s first chance for a basketball championship.

Yolanda Griffith scored 19 points and Kara Lawson had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists Saturday, leading the Monarchs to a sweep of the Western Conference finals with a 74-65 win over the Houston Comets at Sacramento.

After three previous attempts, the Monarchs reached the WNBA finals for the first time. The NBA’s Kings have never played for the title.

“I’ve been here seven years and Ticha [Penicheiro] has been here eight, it’s somewhere we’ve wanted to be for a long time, in the finals,” said Griffith, who had seven rebounds. “It feels great. We’re excited. But there is something bigger we want -- a title.”

Sacramento will face Connecticut, which is in the finals for the second straight year, in the opener of the best-of-five championship series Wednesday night at Uncasville, Conn.

The Monarchs set the tone early against the Comets, scoring the game’s first two baskets and never trailing. The lead was 14 points by halftime, and Houston never cut it below six the rest of the way as Sacramento improved to 17-2 at home this year.

Sheryl Swoopes played all 40 minutes for Houston and had to work for her 24 points, shooting nine for 23 from the field. Tina Thompson had 13 points and Janeth Arcain added 12. Both Swoopes and Thompson had six rebounds.

“Sacramento is playing very well right now, they are hungry for a championship,” Swoopes said. “It’s probably because I’m in the Western Conference, but I think they will win it all.”

The latest victory was much easier for the Monarchs thanks to Lawson, who started at point guard in place of the injured Penicheiro. Typically a shooting guard, Lawson alternated with rookie Kristin Haynie at the point and also played off-guard as well.

It was Lawson’s best game of the year as she recorded playoff career highs in points, rebounds and assists. Lawson made all four of her three-point attempts and was six for nine from the field overall for the Monarchs, who shot 53% and outrebounded the Comets, 43-30.

Connecticut 77, Indiana 67 -- Margo Dydek had four of her 12 points in overtime and Katie Douglas made five free throws in the final 40 seconds at Uncasville, Conn., to lead the Sun to a sweep of the Fever in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Sun advanced to the WNBA finals for the second straight year. It was the Sun’s first overtime game of the year.

Tamika Catchings scored 21 points to help the Fever rally from 10 points down in the second half. Her three-pointer with 18.6 seconds left in regulation tied it, 60-60. The Sun had a chance to win in the closing seconds, but Taj McWilliams-Franklin’s jumper missed the mark as time ran out.

Dydek opened the extra period with a jumper and Indiana countered with a Deanna Jackson layup. McWilliams-Franklin’s basket off an offensive rebound gave the Sun the lead for good at 64-62. Nykesha Sales, who had struggled offensively most of the game, gave the Sun more breathing room with an open three-pointer in transition with 2:57 left. She also made a key steal in the final minute that resulted in Catchings’ sixth and final foul.

The Sun iced the game from the line, making eight of 12 free throws in the last minute of overtime.