Swin Cash

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.

The Seattle Storm are champions again. Seattle completed its undefeated march through the postseason, beating the Atlanta Dream, 87-84, on Thursday night at Atlanta for a three-game sweep in the WNBA Finals. The Storm won each of its seven postseason games for its second WNBA title. The Storm also won the 2004 championship. Swin Cash scored 18 points to lead a balanced offense as Seattle overcame 35 points by Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry . Lauren Jackson , who had 26 points in each of the Storm's first two wins in the series, had 15 points and nine rebounds and was voted MVP of the Finals.

Swin Cash scored a career-high 29 points, helping the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock beat the Monarchs, 84-74, on Saturday in Sacramento. Cash had 17 points in the second half, in which the Shock (6-3) pulled away from the Monarchs (3-7). She made 10 of 15 shots and eight of 11 free throws for Detroit, which started the season 1-3 but has now won five straight. "Everyone is starting to contribute now, we weren't doing that early in the season," Cash said.

SEATTLE — Swin Cash had 20 points and five rebounds to lift the Seattle Storm to a 79-66 win over the Sparks in Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal series. Lauren Jackson had 17 points and nine rebounds while Camille Little and Jana Vesela each chipped in 11 points for the Storm, who finished the regular season with the best record in the WNBA, including an unblemished home mark. Marie Ferdinand-Harris had 18 points and Tina Thompson chipped in with 16 points and six boards for the Sparks, who finished in fourth place in the Western Conference.

While the team huddled together, Sparks Coach Michael Cooper was about to rip into his players. Before he could, though, his players took care of it. They had a 12-point lead with five minutes 14 seconds remaining in Game 1 of their best-of-three Western Conference semifinals matchup with Seattle. But with the way the Storm kept chipping away at their lead, nothing was safe. Hence, the discussion during a timeout. "Sometimes the team has to do that and take responsibility like a veteran team like we do," Cooper said.

Retirement will have to wait for another day for Lisa Leslie -- or at least for another two games. Leslie had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Candace Parker scored 22 points and keyed a second-quarter run that led the Sparks to a 75-64 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday in the deciding third game of the WNBA Western Conference semifinals. It was the second straight year the Sparks eliminated the Storm in the opening round by winning Game 3 at Seattle. They bounced back from Friday night's 75-74 loss in Game 2, in which the Storm scored five points in the final 14 seconds.

Camille Little felt like everything was going in slow motion. She was fast enough to extend the Seattle Storm's season. Little stole an inbounds pass, took a return pass from Tanisha Wright and converted a layup with five seconds left Friday night, helping the Storm stun the Sparks, 75-74, and even the best-of-three WNBA Western Conference semifinals. Game 3 is Sunday in Seattle. The Sparks were up, 74-70, when Sue Bird drained a three-pointer with 10.7 seconds left, cutting the lead to one. The Sparks called a timeout and inbounded from the sideline near midcourt.

The Seattle Storm are champions again. Seattle completed its undefeated march through the postseason, beating the Atlanta Dream, 87-84, on Thursday night at Atlanta for a three-game sweep in the WNBA Finals. The Storm won each of its seven postseason games for its second WNBA title. The Storm also won the 2004 championship. Swin Cash scored 18 points to lead a balanced offense as Seattle overcame 35 points by Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry . Lauren Jackson , who had 26 points in each of the Storm's first two wins in the series, had 15 points and nine rebounds and was voted MVP of the Finals.

Baylor's Brittney Griner, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne and Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins were the top three picks in Monday night's WNBA draft. No surprises there, but still plenty of excitement among the players, the teams that selected them and the league itself. “There's no question that this draft class has potential to be a moment in time and we'll look back 10, 20 years and remember that class that came in with Brittney, Skylar and Elena,” WNBA president Laurel Richie said.  In the 6-foot-8 Griner, the Phoenix Mercury get one of the top NCAA women's basketball players ever -- second all-time in scoring with 3,283 and first in blocked shots (748, which would be a record in men's college basketball as well)

vs. Seattle, 7:30 Site -- Staples Center. Radio -- 1150. Records -- Sparks 9-3, Storm 8-6. Record vs. Storm (2007) -- 0-4. Update -- Lauren Jackson of the Storm took advantage of Lisa Leslie's absence last year to sweep the Sparks. This year, both centers lead their teams in scoring and rebounding. The Storm, which has Sheryl Swoopes, Swin Cash and Yolanda Griffith this season, reinforced its front court Sunday, trading a 2009 second-round draft pick to Atlanta for Camille Little. -- Dan Arritt

Retirement will have to wait for another day for Lisa Leslie -- or at least for another two games. Leslie had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Candace Parker scored 22 points and keyed a second-quarter run that led the Sparks to a 75-64 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday in the deciding third game of the WNBA Western Conference semifinals. It was the second straight year the Sparks eliminated the Storm in the opening round by winning Game 3 at Seattle. They bounced back from Friday night's 75-74 loss in Game 2, in which the Storm scored five points in the final 14 seconds.

Camille Little felt like everything was going in slow motion. She was fast enough to extend the Seattle Storm's season. Little stole an inbounds pass, took a return pass from Tanisha Wright and converted a layup with five seconds left Friday night, helping the Storm stun the Sparks, 75-74, and even the best-of-three WNBA Western Conference semifinals. Game 3 is Sunday in Seattle. The Sparks were up, 74-70, when Sue Bird drained a three-pointer with 10.7 seconds left, cutting the lead to one. The Sparks called a timeout and inbounded from the sideline near midcourt.

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.

Swin Cash scored a career-high 29 points, helping the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock beat the Monarchs, 84-74, on Saturday in Sacramento. Cash had 17 points in the second half, in which the Shock (6-3) pulled away from the Monarchs (3-7). She made 10 of 15 shots and eight of 11 free throws for Detroit, which started the season 1-3 but has now won five straight. "Everyone is starting to contribute now, we weren't doing that early in the season," Cash said.

Alana Beard scored 23 points and made two free throws with 1:11 left to lead the Washington Mystics over the Minnesota Lynx, 65-61, Friday before 12,648. Katie Smith, who left with a hyperextended knee with 11:09 left, had 19 points for Minnesota (13-10). The Mystics are 10-12. Detroit 63, Charlotte 53 -- Swin Cash's 16 points led the Shock (11-12) over the Sting (10-11) before 8,417 at Auburn Hills, Mich.