Cash is MVP in victory for West

It was quite a weekend for Swin Cash.

Cash enjoyed a reunion with her former college teammates, scored a WNBA All-Star game-record 22 points, and captured the most-valuable-player award after she helped the Western Conference get back on the winning track in a 130-118 victory over the East on Saturday.

“This afternoon was just great,” said Cash, one of five former University of Connecticut players in the game. “I was humbled to win the MVP. I want to thank my teammates not only for passing me the ball, but encouraging me in the fourth quarter to go out there and keep being aggressive.”

Nicole Powell had 21 points, Diana Taurasi scored 18 and Sue Bird had 16 for the West in the WNBA’s highest-scoring All-Star game. Bird also had 10 of the West’s 34 assists, both record marks.

The Sparks’ Tina Thompson, who started for the West, had four points and five rebounds.

Cash -- who played for the Huskies with Taurasi, Bird and the East’s Asjha Jones -- shot 10 for 16 from the field and had six rebounds and four assists. Her 10 baskets also set an All-Star game mark.

“I look at it as a step in the right direction,” said Cash, who had back surgery in March that forced her to miss most of training camp. “I don’t feel that I’m at the point where I’m playing my best basketball. . . . I have room for improvement and that’s my focus, to get better every day.”

Sylvia Fowles scored 17 points, Jia Perkins had 16 and Alana Beard 14 for the East. Shameka Christon, Erika DeSouza and Candice Dupree scored 12 each.

“It’s fun,” the East’s Tamika Catchings said. “When you look at a game like this, you can critique all the things you did wrong. But a lot of us came into this with a game the day before. To have the All-Star experience is a joy overall.”

Both teams had their highest scoring outputs, combining to break the record set in the West’s 122-99 victory in 2005 -- also at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The East’s previous high was 103 points in 2007.

The West shot 52%, including 18 for 39 (46%) on three-pointers. The 18 threes also were a record.