SPARKS TONIGHT

Opponent--Utah Starzz.

Site--Forum.

Time--6.

TV--Lifetime.

Records--Sparks 3-5, Starzz 2-6.

Update--With her team in the WNBA’s second quarter (eight down, 20 to go), Coach Linda Sharp looks for something to lift the Sparks out of the doldrums. She ran a 3 1/2-hour practice Thursday, much of it geared to find a way to slow down Utah’s Wendy Palmer. Although she practiced Thursday, Spark guard Tamecka Dixon is listed as a questionable participant for tonight because of a sprained right ankle. Palmer, a 6-foot-2 forward from Virginia, had 28 points and nine rebounds in the 102-89 victory by the Starzz over Los Angeles June 23 in Salt Lake City. She had 20 in a losing effort against Sacramento on Monday. Palmer and Russia’s 6-5 Elena Baranova lead Utah in scoring at 16.4 and 10.8 points a game. The Sparks report that Sunday’s game with Phoenix at the Forum is an 8,505-seat WNBA sellout.