Candace Parker scored 34 points, the most ever in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 Saturday in the season opener. The previous high in a WNBA debut was 25 points by Cynthia Cooper in 1997. The game was tied at 79 early in the fourth quarter when Parker, who led Tennessee to back-to-back NCAA titles, took over. She scored 10 straight points to give the Sparks an 89-86 lead with 3:15 to play. Parker wore a brace on her left shoulder, which she dislocated during the NCAA tournament. It didn't slow her one bit. Cappie Pondexter scored 32 points for Phoenix but missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds to go. Lisa Leslie, who missed last season on maternity leave, had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks. Shock 85, Comets 66: At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Katie Smith scored 21 points and Plenette Pierson added 17 to help Detroit cruise past Houston. Alexis Hornbuckle, the No. 4 pick by the Shock, had eight points and set a franchise record with seven steals, less than two months after helping Tennessee win the NCAA championship. Elsewhere it was: Sun 100, Dream 67; Fever 64, Mystics 53; Storm 67, Sky 61; Monarchs 73, Silver Stars 64.
