New Lineup Gives Sparks Start
The Sparks blew a big early lead, but four free throws in the final 23 seconds by Jamila Wideman and Tamecka Dixon sealed a 75-68 WNBA victory over the Utah Starzz on Friday night before an announced crowd of 7,187 at the Forum.
Coach Linda Sharp unveiled a new starting lineup, featuring overseas veterans Heidi Burge and Linda Burgess, and both responded with superlative efforts.
Burgess had a game-high 20 points on nine-of-12 shooting, and the 6-5 Burge responded with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 32 minutes.
In the early ‘90s, Burgess and her identical twin sister Heather were a formidable high-low post combination at Virginia, with Heidi passing inside to Heather. Friday, it was Heidi in the low post, taking passes from 6-5 Lisa Leslie.
“In college, I was always feeding Heather,” she said. “Tonight, I got to see what it was like to get the pass and score. I like it.”
Sharp indicated the Leslie-Burge-Burgess trio, plus Wideman and Penny Toler, is the best lineup she has tried.
“I think we found our answer as to who our wing is,” Sharp said, meaning Burgess. “She rebounded, got a lot of loose balls, ran the floor and played a great hustle game.
“Heidi gives us great size and mobility--I think she bothered Utah a lot.”
The Sparks (4-5) took a 9-2 lead and had it up to 37-23 with a minute left in the first half.
Utah (2-7) trimmed it to 48-38 early in the second half, finally getting it to 71-66 at 2:02 on a Tammy Reiss three-point basket. Then Kim Williams and Wendy Palmer free throws made it 71-68 with 31 seconds left.
But when Palmer missed the second of her two free throws, Burge got the rebound. She was fouled on the play but missed both free throws. Then Wideman and Dixon iced it with the four free throws.
Wendy Palmer, L.A.’s nemesis (28 points, 10 rebounds) in the Sparks’ 102-89 loss at Salt Lake City last month, was held to 17, primarily due to a great first-half defensive effort by Leslie, who allowed her only five shots before halftime.
The new lineup Sharp employed probably means 6-8 Zheng Haixia’s minutes will plummet even more. She played only two minutes Friday.
Notes
Some Forum staffers wondered if a Forum power failure threatened the Starzz-Sparks game. It didn’t, because five generators brought the arena up to full power by 5 p.m. But all Laker staff (including Vice President Jerry West) and building management staff were sent home early. . . . Former Laker Orlando Woolridge is doing some scouting for Spark Coach Linda Sharp, and also does some practice coaching for post players. . . . After playing host to Phoenix on Sunday, the Sparks play at Sacramento on Tuesday and return home to meet Houston Wednesday. . . . Lisa Leslie and Heidi Burge, both listed at 6-5, had their barefoot, back-to-back measuring the other day. Result: Leslie is a fraction taller. Burge appears taller in games because she wears three-quarter-inch arch supports.