• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Silver Stars outlast Lynx in 2 overtimes

Sep 2, 2009 - 4:18 AM SAN ANTONIO(AP) -- The San Antonio Silver Stars needed overtime again to pull out a victory. And again, Becky Hammon came up big.

Hammon scored 29 points and made a clinching free throw in the second overtime, leading the Silver Stars to an 84-82 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night.

The Silver Stars moved a game ahead of the Lynx for fourth place in the Western Conference.

"Well, we apparently we like to make it interesting," Hammon said of the Silver Stars' second straight overtime game. "We fought, and clawed back, and again it took overtime, but we'll take 'Ws.' Doesn't matter how many minutes it takes, just as long as you walk away with the win."

Ann Wauters made two free throws with 44 seconds left in the second overtime to give San Antonio a three-point lead. Minnesota (12-18) had one chance to tie it up, but Tasha Humphrey missed the front end of a free throw. The Lynx had to foul Hammon, who had her second straight big game.

She finished with 32 points, 12 in overtime, in a 100-88 win over Detroit on Saturday.

Candice Wiggins led the Lynx with 19 points. Nicky Anosike added 18 and 11 rebounds, Renee Montgomery 15 and Charde Houston 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The teams traded baskets in the first extra period, and Vicki Johnson's layup with 44 seconds left tied it. Montgomery had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but her 3-point shot fell short, forcing the second overtime.

"This was definitely a must-win for us, but we unfortunately got off to a slow start," said Minnesota coach Jennifer Gillom. "I'm really proud of my team for coming out in the second half and really fighting and almost winning."

San Antonio (13-17) let a 16-point, first-half lead slip away, but recovered to go up 66-63 when Wauters hit a 7-foot jump shot. Wiggins' two free throws tied it at 66.

Johnson also scored a season-high 17 points and Wauters 14 as the Silver Stars played the second half without Sophia Young. She sat out because of pain in her right knee.

Johnson, who is retiring after 13 seasons in the WNBA, was honored before the game with a video tribute and a framed jersey. She then scored nine points in a 16-4 Silver Stars run to open the game. The run ended on her 3-pointer with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

"It's a big night for her and a big night for our team in general," Hammon said. "She got us off to a great start. She's just old reliable, and when the chips are down, we lost that big lead, we just kept fighting and persevering, and she was a huge part of that. In my world, every day is Vicki Johnson day."