Sparks Juggle Lineup and Get Same Result
Coach Julie Rousseau shook up her starting lineup Wednesday night, but despite several desperate second-half rallies, the Sparks lost for the fifth time in their last six games, 89-85, to Cleveland at the Forum.
Rousseau started Tamecka Dixon at point guard for Jamila Wideman, her first non-start in 14 games. Katrina Colleton started at the wing and Zheng Haixia started in the low post.
Not much production was gained there, with the Rockers posting a 47-40 halftime lead.
The best lineup was the final one--Lisa Leslie, playing her best pro game yet, Daedra Charles in the low post, Wideman, Colleton and Penny Toler in the backcourt.
The Sparks had an announced crowd of 6,815 on its feet for most of the last five minutes.
The Sparks came close, but couldn’t quite surmount the likes of cool Cleveland guard, Michelle Edwards, and the solid post play, offensively and defensively, of Frenchwoman Isabelle Fijalkowski, who had 24 points.
When it was over, the Sparks were 5-10 and Cleveland 6-8.
Of a half-dozen Spark surges that nearly caught Cleveland, the most forceful was the one that cut it to 85-82, when Leslie--who had a game and season-high 28 points--scored on a drive with 1:52 to go.
Cleveland called a timeout, then put Fijalkowski on the line for two free throws, and she made both.
The Sparks’ last bolt was from Leslie, making a three-point basket from the corner with one minute left.
That was the high tide mark for the Spark bid, and there were no boos when Rousseau’s players walked off the court, only cheers.
It’s still not enough for Rousseau.
“It was a gallant effort but it wasn’t good enough,” she said.
“Lisa Leslie gave us her heart and soul tonight. She actually cried after the game. She’s going to have to put this team on her back and carry it, and everyone better jump on.”
WNBA Notes
The proposed Sacramento-Los Angeles trade that would have sent Pam McGee to the Sparks for Heidi Burge had a 36-hour shelf life. Talks broke off Tuesday night between the two clubs, with Los Angeles General Manager Rhonda Windham saying: “There won’t be a trade. And I don’t think we’ll do any trades the rest of the way.” In fact, Windham said, Burge, a 6-5 forward, may now get more playing time.
The Charlotte Sting is going to try to shatter the WNBA single-game attendance record. It has the league’s largest venue, the 24,042-seat Charlotte Coliseum, and will try to fill it for its August 16 Houston game. The promotion is a gamble, that the Comets’ Sheryl Swoopes--who gave birth last month--will be in the lineup. . . . Ex-Trojans are WNBA leaders in three categories: Cynthia Cooper is the new scoring leader at 19.3, Lisa Leslie still leads in rebounding (8.2) and Tina Thompson is the free-throw leader (96%).
In Wednesday’s other game, Rebecca Lobo made two free throws with 4.6 seconds left to give the visiting New York Liberty a 65-63 victory over the Charlotte Sting. The Liberty (13-3), who own the WNBA’s best record, ended Charlotte’s perfect record at home this season by going nine of 10 from the foul line over the final 3:44. The Sting (6-7) had won the first six games they played at the Charlotte Coliseum. Lobo, who finished with 17 points, was fouled by Vicki Bullett and made both ends of a one-and-one to break the 63-63 tie. Bullett blocked a shot by Sophia Witherspoon with five seconds left before fouling Lobo on the rebound.