UNCASVILLE, Connecticut — Kara Lawson scored 23 points and Tina Charles added 19 points and 13 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun beat the New York Liberty 81-69 Saturday in the WNBA season opener for both teams. The game marked the return of coaches Bill Laimbeer and Anne Donovan to the WNBA. Laimbeer was coaching his first game since 2009, when he left the Detroit Shock four games into the season to pursue opportunities in the NBA. Donovan spent the past three seasons coaching women's basketball at Seton Hall University after leaving the Liberty in 2010. In Atlanta, Tiffany Hayes scored 21 points and Sancho Lyttle added 18 points to help the Dream beat the Tulsa Shock 98-81. — AP