Liberty Shows Sparks No Mercy

The Sparks may have hit rock bottom Tuesday night.

In a season that was already a major disappointment, things got much worse in a 92-77 loss to the New York Liberty at the Great Western Forum.

The Sparks (5-11), in losing for the third time in their last four games, allowed New York (10-9) to run through them all night for easy layups, short jump shots and put-backs, much to the annoyance of Coach Julie Rousseau.

“One thing I’ve been happy with lately is our defensive intensity, but we sure didn’t have it tonight,” she said.

She could have added that no Spark took a single charge, in a game when New York was getting countless layups off its fast break and half-court plays.

New York seemed vulnerable going in. The Liberty had lost four in a row before winning at Phoenix Saturday. And the Sparks had beaten New York here in June.

But Tuesday, the Liberty looked like the New York team that won its first seven games a year ago and certainly looked like the best Liberty team anyone’s seen this year.

“Yes, that was probably our best 40 minutes this year,” Coach Nancy Darsch said afterward.

“Our focus tonight was to relax, have fun and let her rip. And we did that. I think we have our confidence back now.”

The Sparks led in the early going, but as has been so typical of this team, they also swooned early and, also significant, never challenged in the second half.

And again, it was another case of Lisa and the Lilliputians.

Lisa Leslie, the 6-5 second-year Spark center, had 24 points and nine rebounds, played hard defensively, but too few of her teammates matched her effort.

Then there is this: She finished the game with knee and wrist strains and will miss at least today’s practice.

It was a night when the Sparks seemed to be wearing weighted shoes in trying to reach their defensive positions on New York breakaways. The Liberty’s Teresa Weatherspoon took advantage of the losers’ soft defense, setting a WNBA record 13 assists.

The crowd, announced as 7,696, tried to inspire the home team, but with no results.

When Leslie scored a baseline drive and Tamecka Dixon converted a drive with 11:40 to go and cut New York’s lead to 62-52, it got the crowd involved for the first time. But then came two scores underneath by Sue Wicks and a drive by Rebecca Lobo,

Then a Kisha Ford score on a fast break and two Wicks free throws made it 72-57 with 7:23 to go.

Her team’s poor effort was especially disappointing to Rousseau, coming on the heels of a strong effort last Friday when her team battled WNBA champion Houston even for 38 minutes.

Tuesday night, the Sparks didn’t outplay New York in any segment of the game.

The Liberty took its offense inside at the outset, hoping to induce Leslie to foul. That didn’t work--Leslie didn’t commit a foul in the first half--but it did wonders for New York’s marksmanship.

New York was 15 for 20 from the field with six minutes left in the half, had a 37-30 lead, and got to the break with a 47-39 lead. The Liberty shot 64% in the first half and finished the game at 55%. The Sparks were 42%.

Lobo was four for six from the floor in the first half, Sophia Witherspoon and Weatherspoon a combined six for nine.

Los Angeles’ last lead, 27-26, was on a Dixon three-pointer with 9:16 to go before halftime.

The Sparks conclude their four-game home stand Thursday against Phoenix.