Sparks Get a Break After 80-62 Loss

The Sparks, a basketball team that could use a break, gets one today.

The Washington Mystics, the worst team in women’s pro basketball.

The Sparks (10-15) tip off against the Mystics (2-22) this afternoon in Washington, 24 hours after Los Angeles’ worst defeat of the WNBA season, an 80-62 loss to the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden.

Win or lose, the Sparks could set a record for highest road attendance in back-to-back games. There were 18,014 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, and Washington is the WNBA attendance leader. The two teams drew 14,137 to MCI Center on July 29.

With three regulars--Allison Feaster, Haixia Zheng and Tamecka Dixon--out with injuries, the Sparks can’t compete with the league’s upper-echelon teams, particularly on the road and when Lisa Leslie is in foul trouble.

She was in early foul difficulty Saturday, sat for seven minutes of the first half, and the Liberty opened the flood gates. New York outrebounded the Sparks, 25-17, in the first half and finished the half with a 21-4 run.

With Leslie out, New York’s Rebecca Lobo scored 19 of her game-high 22 points in the first half. Lobo, who had been averaging 10.8 points, also had eight rebounds and New York registered a 40-30 rebound edge.

New York outscored the Sparks, 40-31, in both halves.

Los Angeles’ Penny Toler had 14 points but six turnovers.

The Sparks were looking at a 30-point loss, until Liberty Coach Nancy Darsch began pulling regulars in the final minutes. New York had late leads of 68-37 and 72-41. The Sparks finished the game with a 10-2 run.