Lynx open season with victory

Published 1:33 pm Saturday, June 6, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS — Lindsay Whalen scored 26 points, Maya Moore added 23 and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Tulsa Shock 83-75 on Friday in the season opener for both teams.

Whalen was 9 of 13 from the floor and 8 of 8 from the line. Seimone Augustus had 16 points, and Rebekkah Brunson added 14 points and 18 rebounds.

Plenette Pierson led Tulsa with 18 points. Odyssey Sims scored 17 points, and Skylar Diggins added 15.

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Brunson’s two driving layups gave the Lynx a 77-70 lead with 3:07 left. Tulsa drew within two on Diggins’ 3-pointer, but Augustus made it a four-point game with a jumper, and Whalen’s free throws upped it to 81-75 with 37.7 left. Augustus made two more from the line for the final margin as Tulsa missed its last four shots — all 3-pointers.

Tulsa All-Star Glory Johnson-Griner is sitting out the season because she is pregnant. Phoenix star Brittney Griner filed for an annulment with Johnson-Griner on Friday, a day after Johnson-Griner announced she’s pregnant and a month after the two WNBA players were married.

Griner and Johnson-Griner were married May 9, three weeks after they were arrested in Arizona on domestic violence charges for a fight at their home in suburban Phoenix. Both players were suspended seven games after their arrests. Johnson-Griner’s suspension will not start until the 2016 season.