Sparks open the season with a 102-69 win over Seattle
The announcement over the loudspeaker before the Sparks’ game drew claps from the Staples Center crowd.
“Tonight the Sparks report no injuries.”
It was a sharp contrast to the injury-riddled Seattle Storm team they were facing, which was playing without superstars Sue Bird (knee surgery) and Lauren Jackson (hamstring surgery), both of whom are sidelined for the season.
The Sparks’ relative depth showed in a big way in their 102-69 win in their season opener Sunday evening.
It was their largest margin of victory in franchise history. They can thank their shooting for the record.
Through three quarters, the Sparks shot a very impressive 69.8%. They finished the game outshooting the Storm, 62.1% to 40.6%.
The Sparks turned the game into a blowout in the third quarter, going on a 24-5 run over the first eight minutes of the period.
After building a 22-point lead with 5 minutes 18 seconds left in the third quarter, starters Candace Parker, Lindsey Harding and Alana Beard were taken out of the game. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter, yet they each finished in double figures.
Kristi Toliver led all scorers with 17 points on six-for-nine shooting. Nneka Ogwumike had 15 points on four-for-four shooting. Harding had 12 points on five-for-six shooting and Parker had 10 points on four-for-eight shooting. Marissa Coleman came off the bench to score 12 points on four-for-five shooting.
Perhaps even more impressive than how well the Sparks shot the ball was how well they shared it. The Sparks had 26 assists on 36 field goals. They had 15 fastbreak points.
“It was a good start to the season,” Parker said. “We shot the ball well, we moved the ball well, and we were able to come out in the third quarter and play defense and I think that was key.”
When the starters were taken out of the game, the reserves maintained their level of play, building the Sparks’ lead up to as many as 35 points.
“Having the depth ... is certainly going to bode well as we move through the long season,” Coach Carol Ross said.
Parker acknowledged that it was an ideal start, but she was careful to chalk it up as just that.
“We didn’t win the championship today,” she said, “so we’re just going to go back to the drawing board and move on to the next game.”
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