LOS ANGELES (AP) Candace Parker scored 34 points to spoil No. 1 overall pick Breanna Stewart's pro debut and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 96-66 in the WNBA opener for both teams Sunday.
Parker was 12 of 20 from the field with three 3-pointers, grabbed five rebounds and had four assists and three steals.
The Sparks, ranked sixth in the AP WNBA power poll, scored the first eight points and were rarely challenged.
Midway through the first, Stewart had her first WNBA basket on a driving layup, but the Sparks led 26-15 after the first. The former UConn star finished with 23 points to lead the Storm.
Seattle, No. 9 in the AP WNBA power rankings, cut it to seven with 5:35 left in the half on Jewell Loyd's pull-up jumper, but the Sparks closed the half on a 19-3 run to take a 51-26 lead.
