Sparks Blow Late Lead as Losing Streak Reaches Four
Another heartbreak, another loss, another long look at numbers growing uglier with each game . . . and a weak attempt at a quip.
“I guess the positive news in all this is that June is over,” said Sparks Coach Julie Rousseau Tuesday night, struggling to speak after her team blew a lead with 12 seconds left and lost its fourth game in a row, 58-56, to the Sacramento Monarchs.
Rousseau could only watch in agony after her Sparks, who had led for most of the game, lost at the finish.
In a matchup of teams with losing streaks (the Monarchs had lost five in a row), Sacramento’s deciding play was provided by a player, Latasha Byears, who looks ordinary against the rest of the league but like a superstar against the Sparks.
The Monarchs (2-6) overtook the Sparks (2-6) with 12 seconds left, when a great assist pass by Adia Barnes created a layup for Byears, who made it 57-56.
She was fouled by Lisa Leslie, made the first free throw, missed the second and was fouled by Leslie on the ensuing scramble. She then made it 58-56.
Leslie had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but missed a 15-foot jump shot.
Leslie, who played only nine minutes of the first half because of foul trouble, had a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds. She also was only eight for 15 from the free-throw line.
The Sparks were 14 for 23 from the line, had 23 turnovers and their passing, both on the perimeter and into the low post, was awful.
Byears, in addition to the winning points, had 13 points in 22 minutes, in addition to 11 rebounds.
“This was the worst June of my life,” Rousseau said. “I’ve never lost this much in my life. We wanted this game so bad, yet they seemed hungrier than we were. I know this team is better than this.”
The Sparks’ Mwadi Mabika had her best game as a pro, with 17 points.
WNBA Notes
The surgeon who repaired the left knee of the Monarchs’ Ruthie Bolton-Holifield Monday at UC Davis Medical Center was Dr. Eric Heiden, 1980 Olympic speed skating champion . . . Taking Bolton-Holifield’s place on the Sacramento roster is guard-forward Rehema Stephens, cut June 5 by the Sparks.
Other Games
Cynthia Cooper scored 27 points to lead the Houston Comets (8-1) to a 75-73 double overtime victory over the Utah Starzz (2-7) before 6,975 at Salt Lake City.
Cooper’s driving layup with 1:18 remaining in regulation tied the score, 55-55.
The Starzz took the lead in the first overtime, but a layup by Sheryl Swoopes tied it at 75 and a basket by Cooper gave the Comets the lead.
Houston held the lead until Starzz center Margo Dydek grabbed the rebound of a missed shot by teammate Kim Williams and scored with 1.3 seconds remaining, tying it at 63-63.
Houston’s Kim Perrot made a three-point basket and Yolanda Moore added a free throw to give the Comets a four-point lead. A jump shot by Dydek with 26 seconds remaining cut the Houston lead to two, but the Comets, the defending WNBA champions, held on for the victory and improved their league-best record.
Swoopes added 17 points for the Comets.
Dydek led Utah with 27 points, including six in the second overtime, and she also pulled down 16 rebounds. Elena Baranova had 17 rebounds for the Starzz.