20070519/MININD
Fever Cruise to Victory Over Lynx

Indiana 83, Minnesota 64

INDIANAPOLIS, May 19 (AP) -- Tan White scored 17 points and Tamika Whitmore added 16 to lead the Indiana Fever to an 83-64 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the regular-season opener for both teams on Saturday night.

Tamika Catchings finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, and Tammy Sutton-Brown had 11 points for the Fever, who won their fourth consecutive opener and sixth straight home opener.

Seimone Augustus had 16 points for Minnesota before leaving the game with a right knee injury with 7:46 left in the fourth quarter. She did not return and her status for Sunday's game against Sacramento was unknown.

Nicole Ohlde added 15 points and nine rebounds, and rookie Lindsey Harding scored 12 for the Lynx.

Indiana, which led 36-26 at the half, opened the third quarter with a 12-4 run to extend its lead to 18 points. Anna DeForge and Whitmore each hit 3-pointers during the run.

Augustus scored 12 third-quarter points to help the Lynx cut the deficit to 61-46, but White finished the period with a three-point play to help Indiana regain the momentum.

The Fever took their biggest lead of the game at 71-48 after Whitmore's 3-pointer and Catchings' layup with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter.