Seattle, WA – Kristi Toliver netted 25 points and dished out six assists and the Los Angeles Sparks opened the 2012 WNBA season by rallying to a 72-66 win over the Seattle Storm on Friday.
Seattle led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter and took a 56-42 advantage into the final stanza. But Los Angeles, led by Toliver who poured in 10 in the fourth, outscored the Storm 30-10 in the last 12 minutes.
Candace Parker was the only other double-digit scorer for Los Angeles, which failed to make the postseason in 2011 after registering a 15-19 record.
Ann Wauters had 17 points and seven rebounds while Sue Bird added 15 points, five boards and five assists for Seattle, which 21-13 and earned a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs a year ago, but fell to the Phoenix Mercury in three games in the semifinals.
Los Angeles tallied 30 points on 27 Seattle turnovers.
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