Lynx Rally, Shock Sparks

Tamika Williams stole a pass and scored with seven seconds left as the Minnesota Lynx opened the WNBA playoffs by overcoming a 21-point deficit and stunning the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks, 74-72, last night in Minneapolis.

Minnesota -- which had lost 16 straight to the Sparks dating from their first meeting in 1999 -- will visit Los Angeles on Saturday night in the second game of the best-of-three Western Conference series.

"We had a guy in the stands have a heart attack today," Williams said, referring to a fan that was hospitalized during the game. "That's how exciting the game was."

"Katie [Smith] and I both played 40 minutes. It takes everything to beat a team of this caliber."

Smith scored 23 points for Minnesota. Williams added 16 points and six rebounds, and reserve Kristi Harrower had eight points and five assists.

Despite foul trouble, Lisa Leslie had 24 points and seven rebounds for the Sparks, who had lost only one other playoff game during their two-year title run.

"I felt the game was played very unfairly," Leslie said. "I know it's on the road and you're not always going to get the calls, but that's all I can really say about this situation."

When asked if she was calling out the referees, Leslie responded, "You have to interpret it however you want."

Tamecka Dixon, also in foul trouble, scored 18 points, and Mwadi Mabika had 15.

Mabika made a layup with 1 minute 22 seconds left to give Los Angeles a 70-69 lead, and Leslie took over on the next two possessions. First she blocked Williams's layup attempt and then scored on a jump hook to make it 72-69.

Smith hit a three-pointer with 24 seconds left to tie the game again before Williams's game-winning play.

Mabika was inbounding the ball at half court when Williams stole it, drove the length of the court and hit a layup while being fouled. She missed the foul shot, but Los Angeles could not get a shot up on the other end as time expired.

The final margin was Minnesota's largest lead of the game.

Los Angeles' starting point guard, Nikki Teasley, went down with a left knee contusion midway through the first half. She stayed down for a few minutes before being helped off the court by trainers.

The team evaluated Teasley at halftime and, although the injury was not considered serious, decided to not to play her in the second half.

• SUN 68, STING 66: Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 20 points, including the game-winning layup with 2.3 seconds left, to lead host Connecticut past Charlotte in the teams' opener of the best-of-three Eastern Conference series.

McWilliams-Franklin scored eight points in Connecticut's closing 10-2 run over the final five minutes. She hit a three-pointer and was fouled by Dawn Staley with 1:45 seconds left and converted the four-point play to pull Connecticut to 66-64.

Sun guard Shannon Johnson hit two free throws with 52 seconds left to tie it.

Nykesha Sales, who finished with 11 points for Connecticut, came up with the key defensive stop, blocking a jumper by Andrea Stinson. Johnson won the scramble for the ball and called a timeout for Connecticut, allowing the Sun to set up the winning play.