Sparks Seek Strength in Numbers
Don’t worry about anything, even foul trouble.
And play hard.
Those were Spark Coach Orlando Woolridge’s last words to his team Monday after wrapping up what he called the best practice of the season.
His team makes its first postseason appearance tonight at 6 at the Great Western Forum, a one-game playoff with the Sacramento Monarchs, the winner to play Houston on Thursday.
Even before Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith--the WNBA’s rebounding champion--went out for the season after knee surgery Aug. 16, the Sparks held a commanding edge in team depth.
Without his best player, Sacramento Coach Sonny Allen comes to tonight’s sudden-death game with six players averaging double-digit minutes. Woolridge has 10.
“We are mentally prepared for this,” Woolridge said.
“We just had our best practice of the season. We’re enthusiastic. I just told my players I want them to play as hard as they can and not to worry about foul trouble or anything else.
“I want them playing so hard that when they can’t go anymore, to give me a look and I’ll put someone else in.
“With our depth, we’ll be aggressive, looking for mismatches.
“Sacramento will have us well scouted, they’ll try to make us do things we don’t want to do. So in that sense, we’re going to have to be counterpunchers too.”
Allen didn’t minimize the loss of Griffith, and bemoaned Sacramento’s abominable free-throw shooting, 67%, worst in the WNBA.
“What we’re stressing is that we’re still in the running to win the championship,” he said. “It’s one thing to lose your 10th player, it’s another to lose the best or at least second-best player in the league. Let me put it this way--I’d like our chances much better with [Griffith].
“It just means we’ll have very little margin for error.
“It means making free throws too, and we’re the worst in the league at that. We deal in volume--we’ve also shot more free throws than anyone else.”
Besides depth, the Sparks would seem to have another edge in three-point shooting. Lisa Leslie’s marksmanship has soared in recent weeks. She’s now shooting 42% from long range. Gordana Grubin is shooting 43% and Nina Bjedov 42%.
As a team, the Sparks shoot 34% on three-point attempts, Sacramento 30%.
Woolridge wants to shut down Sacramento’s inside offensive game.
“Sacramento always does a great job on the offensive glass against us,” he said. “If we can make them take more perimeter shots than they want, then limit their second shots down low, we’ll be OK.”
Finally, it shapes up as a major home-court edge for Los Angeles.
The Sparks won the first two games against the Monarchs, 100-78 in the season opener at the Forum and 76-73 at Sacramento. The Monarchs won the other two.
Tonight’s Eastern Conference game matches two 15-17 teams, Charlotte and Detroit, at the Palace at Auburn Hills, Mich.
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SPARKS vs. SACRAMENTO
Tonight
ESPN, 6
Great Western Forum