Aug 25, 2007, 17:05 GMT
Uncasville, CT - Nykesha Sales' baseline jumper with 19 seconds remaining finally iced a 93-88 triple-overtime victory for the Connecticut Sun over the Indiana Fever in the first game of the Eastern Conference best-of-three semifinals.
Sales finished with 25 points, five rebounds and four assists and Asjha Jones added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Lindsay Whalen had nine of her 13 points during the overtime periods, and also chipped in seven rebounds and 10 assists.
Indiana was led by Anna DeForge's 31 points, and by Tamika Whitmore, who poured in 24 and grabbed 14 rebounds.
But DeForge fouled out during the third overtime, and Connecticut closed with a 10-0 run that erased an 88-83 Fever lead, and allowed them to take the all- important opening game of the series. Game 1 winners have won 70 percent of WNBA playoff series all time.
The Fever spent most of the game playing catch-up, recovering from an early deficit and outscoring Connecticut 24-12 in the fourth quarter to force the initial overtime.
Tamika Catchings had 14 points and 20 rebounds for Indiana in her return to the lineup, though her status for Game 2 remains questionable because of a re-aggravated ankle injury.
The series shifts to Indianapolis, where the two teams will meet on Saturday.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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