Sparks’ Frett Does Number on Holdsclaw in a 81-64 Win

The Sparks’ emerging defensive star, La’Keshia Frett, put the clamps on Chamique Holdsclaw, the WNBA’s most famous rookie, Saturday night.

The defensive gem by the 6-foot-3 Frett enabled the Sparks to breeze to an 81-64 victory over the Washington Mystics before 7,716 at the Great Western Forum and complete a 6-0 sweep of their homestand.

Frett, who was at the end of the Sparks’ bench when the season began and who has since become not only a a starter but one of the WNBA’s best defensive players as well, held Holdsclaw to seven points for the game’s first 34 minutes.

Holdsclaw managed three consecutive baskets late in the game and went on to finish with 15 points on 7-for-20 shooting.

Holdsclaw came into the game averaging 17.6 points a game.

On Tuesday, Frett held another premier scorer, Orlando’s Nykesha Sales, to no points.

“La’Keshia took on a personal challenge tonight,” said Spark Coach Orlando Woolridge, after watching his team win its sixth straight and 13th of its last 15 to improve to 16-6.

“I talked to her before the game and told her the only difference between her and Holdsclaw was that Chamique gets more publicity and is more offensive-minded that she is.

“Also, Frett is tall and she can jump. I think she altered a lot of Chamique’s jump shots tonight.”

Holdsclaw, the former Tennessee star, was hounded relentlessly by former Georgian Frett. An 8.2-per-game rebounder, Frett consistently blocked Holdsclaw off the boards at both ends, limiting her to six rebounds.

Holdsclaw, the WNBA’s No. 1 draft choice and the league’s highest-paid player, saluted Frett afterward.

“She did a great job, but can she guard me one-on-one? No. Really, we made it easy for them tonight because our offense was out of sync all night,” Holdsclaw said.

Frett, who scored 12 points, played with maximum defensive effort for 26 minutes, then ran out of gas, she admitted.

When Holdsclaw suddenly scored three straight times on her late in the game and with the Sparks easily in command, Woolridge took her out.

“I was tired, I needed a break,” she said. “I think my height was a problem for her. I’m a bigger player than she’s used to going against. I tried to stay squared up on her, force her to shoot over me.”

With Utah losing to Sacramento, 63-59, the second-place Sparks put more distance between themselves and the third-place Monarchs (14-9).

Sparks Notes

Staples Center president Tim Leiweke, on a possible move of the Sparks to his nearly complete arena next summer: “We want the Sparks to come to Staples, and we’ve told [team president] Johnny Buss this, as well as [WNBA president] Val Ackerman and [NBA Commissioner] David Stern. The Sparks’ upside would be huge in our building--it could mean another 2,000 people per game for them. I believe in the WNBA, and I believe this is the place for them.” Buss, meanwhile, said his father, Laker majority owner Jerry Buss, is seeking clarification from Stern on the rule that only NBA owners can operate WNBA teams, whether a minority NBA team owner could be an operator. Jerry Buss has remained silent on his future commitment to operate the team, sparking speculation Phil Anschutz, the Denver billionaire who is a 25% owner of the Lakers, would become the Sparks’ operator at Staples.