SPARKS TODAY

Opponent--Charlotte Sting.

Site--Charlotte Coliseum.

Time--4:30 p.m. PST

Records--Sparks 5-8, Sting 5-6.

Update--Once called “Team Glamour,” the Sparks reach the halfway point of their 28-game season tonight well shy of the lofty aspirations they began the season with in June. Then, there was talk of a championship. Now, even with a win tonight, the Sparks would have to win 8 of 14 in the second half to reach .500. The Sparks were competitive with class-of-the-league New York for about eight of the 40 minutes Saturday, losing, 69-57. Tonight, new Coach Julie Rousseau, 1-1 since replacing Linda Sharp last week, faces a team that is 5-0 at home, 0-6 on the road. Rousseau’s top priority is to find someone to stop Charlotte’s Vicky Bullett, who was 10 for 15 from the floor and scored 24 points in the Sting’s 65-47 loss at Cleveland Thursday. Charlotte is 3-2 since Coach Marynell Meadors started Nicole Levesque at point guard over Tora Suber.