Storm comes from behind to win season opener

Iziane Castro Marques scored 25 points, and Betty Lennox had 13 second-half points that keyed the Seattle Storm's rally from down 22 for an 82-69 win over the Houston Comets tonight.

Seattle trailed 60-38 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter, then outscored Houston 44-9 over the final 15 minutes to stun the Comets and ruin Karleen Thompson's debut as just the second coach in Houston's history.

Thompson seemed well on her way to win No. 1, replacing coach Van Chancellor, who resigned in January and then took the head coaching job at LSU in April. Houston outscored Seattle 14-1 to start the second half, taking a 60-38 lead on a pair of free throws by rookie Ashley Shields with 5:20 left in the quarter.

Shields led Houston with 19 points. Michelle Snow added 16 and Sheryl Swoopes scored 15.

Lauren Jackson made a fadeaway 4-footer for Seattle's first field goal of the second half and started the improbable rally. Lennox's driving layup to end the third quarter got Seattle within 62-54. Lennox then scored seven straight midway through the fourth, capping her run with a step-back 17-footer to trim the deficit to 66-65. Sue Bird, who made just 3-of-11 shots, sprinted down the lane and her left-handed layup with 3:56 left gave the Storm the lead for good.

Jackson finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, including a half-court shot to end the game. Bird added 11 points, while Castro Marques scored 18 points in the first half, playing in front of team owner Clay Bennett who watched the game from a luxury box.

Houston went scoreless for nearly the final six minutes. Hamchetou Maiga-Ba made an uncontested layup with 33 seconds left, the Comets' first points since Swoopes' basket at the 6-minute mark. Houston made just 3 of 16 shots in the fourth quarter.