After taking a 25-10 lead in the opening quarter, the Lynx held on to edge the New York Liberty 77-74 on Thursday in their first WNBA exhibition game at Columbia University.
Backup guard Renee Montgomery led the Lynx with 17 points. Starters Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles had 10 points apiece.
Sugar Rodgers, who was drafted by and played for the Lynx in 2013, led the Liberty with 22 points while Tina Charles has 10. New York's Shoni Schimmel missed two possible game-tying three-point shots in the final 16 seconds.
The Lynx shot 47.8 percent from the field, the Liberty 34.5. New York had a 26-24 rebound advantage, but the home team also committed 22 turnovers, the Lynx 15.
Guard Jia Perkins, acquired in an offseason trade with San Antonio, started and had seven points. Rookie forward Bashaara Graves, the Lynx's second-round pick, had nine points and three rebounds off the bench.
