Sacramento takes down Storm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Yolanda Griffith had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Ticha Penicheiro added a surprising 15 points in the Sacramento Monarchs' 87-66 victory over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night.

Nicole Powell and rookie Scholanda Dorrell scored 12 points apiece for the Monarchs, who have won three of their first four to open defense of their WNBA title. The Monarchs grabbed this one early, taking a 20-point lead in the first half and cruising past their longtime Seattle rivals, the 2004 league champs.

Lauren Jackson had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Storm in her first game since scoring a career-high 35 against Phoenix last week. Betty Lennox scored 18 points, including the 2,000th of her career, but Sue Bird was held to six points on 2-of-9 shooting and one assist by Sacramento's hard-nosed defense.

The Monarchs' perceived lack of a go-to scorer didn't show against the Storm. Griffith was resourceful in the post, while Sacramento repeatedly penetrated the lane — and got an uncharacteristic burst from Penicheiro, the WNBA's career assists leader who's well-known for her reluctance to shoot.

Sacramento never trailed after the opening basket, making an 18-5 run and following it up with a 16-6 surge to a 36-20 lead early in the second quarter. Penicheiro went 6-for-7 in the first half — even with her last name misspelled on the back of her jersey — and hit a driving layup with 3.1 seconds left to put the Monarchs up 49-29 at halftime.

Griffith scored the first five points of the second half, then got an ovation for diving over the scorers' table in pursuit of a loose ball.

Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest sat courtside with his two children, perhaps to get a look at Monarchs coach John Whisenant, who's in the running to be Artest's next coach with the Kings. Whisenant, who never played or coached in the NBA, interviewed for the job last week and was thought to be the Maloof brothers' favorite candidate.

But Memphis assistant Eric Musselman was scheduled to get a second interview with the Kings' top brass Wednesday night in Las Vegas.