LOS ANGELES, June 8 (AP) -- Mwadi Mabika's game was nothing to brag about until the final 25 seconds.
That's when she made all four of her free throws and the Los Angeles Sparks escaped with a 90-87 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in their home opener Friday night.
"It was not a good game for us. We were not aggressive,'' Mabika said. "Maybe just because it was the first game at home and we've got to get used to our court again and our crowd. I think we're going to get better.''
Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 20 points and had a key block in the final seconds, and rookie Marta Fernandez matched her career high with 19 points for the Sparks, who went 2-2 on their season-opening road trip and were the last WNBA team to play a home game.
"I like our toughness,'' said Michael Cooper, in his second stint as Sparks' coach. "We were able to stay in the game and keep it a close one. We played a tough game like this last week in Sacramento and end up losing, so it was good to get the home opener.''
The Sparks won their 10th consecutive home opener since losing the WNBA's inaugural game against the New York Liberty in 1997.
"We have to put teams away,'' McWilliams-Franklin said. "We can't have a lead and then fight at the end of the fourth quarter against a team that's 1-7.''
Seimone Augustus, last year's WNBA rookie of the year, scored 15 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter for the Lynx, who fell to 1-8 overall and 2-12 all-time at Staples Center.
Augustus went 11-for-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line.
"I thought we had it,'' she said. "One stop, one rebound, that's the difference in the game. We got a foul instead.''
LaToya Thomas keyed the Sparks over the final 3 1/2 minutes, when they clung to a one-point lead. She hit a jumper, Sidney Spencer scored and Thomas followed with a running jumper to keep the Sparks ahead 86-81.
Augustus hit a 3-pointer and made the free throw when Mabika was called for a technical, drawing the Lynx within one point.
Minnesota took an 87-86 lead on a wide-open layup by Nicole Ohlde with 46 seconds left. But Svetlana Abrosimova fouled Mabika, who made both for an 88-87 lead.
McWilliams-Franklin blocked Lindsey Harding's shot under the basket and Mabika got fouled by Ohlde. She made both for a 90-87 lead with six seconds left.
Ohlde and Kristen Mann added 15 points each for the Lynx.
The Sparks led by 11 points to open the third quarter, but the Lynx got within two points heading into the fourth.
"We got to get over that third-quarter hump because we can't come out flat like that against a great team,'' McWilliams-Franklin said. "Minnesota is a good team, they made a great run and we pulled out an extremely difficult game that shouldn't have been difficult from the beginning.''
It was a homecoming for Minnesota rookies Shay Murphy from Southern California and Noelle Quinn from UCLA. Murphy had three points and Quinn four.
Reigning WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie watched the game from a seat next to the Sparks' bench, occasionally cupping her hands to her mouth and yelling instructions or cheering. She is sitting out the season while awaiting the birth of her first child in 2 1/2 weeks.
Sparks point guard Temeka Johnson is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and did not dress.
