Sparks’ Comeback Is a Memorable One
An inspired Spark second-half comeback, ignited by a coach who at halftime challenged his players’ courage, swept aside the Minnesota Lynx, 81-77, in a wild double-overtime game Thursday night at Target Center.
It was the Sparks’ third consecutive victory, raising their record to 6-4 and, almost as important, it was a victory over a Western Conference opponent Los Angeles must beat if it hopes to gain a berth in the playoffs.
Club president Johnny Buss called it “the best win this franchise has ever had and I can’t even think of a second place.”
By any measure, it was an astonishing comeback.
The Sparks trailed, 40-21, just before halftime before rallying to close to 41-28 at the break.
They blitzed Minnesota in the second half, 35-22, with the Lynx missing the last three shots of regulation. The teams entered overtime tied, 63-63.
The game-winning play? Two free throws by Yugoslavian guard Gordana Grubin with 12.7 seconds remaining, and 8,536 Minnesota fans standing and jeering her.
“I miss one before,” she said, in halting English.
“The crowd distract me. Then I think: ‘I make, we finish.’ ”
Her 6-foot-6 Yugoslavian teammate, Nina Bjedov, said: “She does this all the time in Euro League. For her, it is nothing.”
Grubin played 39 minutes and scored 20 points. She replaced starter Tamecka Dixon early. Dixon did not score in eight minutes.
Spark Coach Orlando Woolridge was asked if Grubin, who scored eight points in the second overtime, had earned a starting role.
“I have to sleep on that,” he said. “But it’s real close, I’ll tell you that.”
As it turned out, Grubin could start at either guard spot tonight in Detroit, where the Sparks play the Shock. Starting point Ukari Figgs sprained an ankle with 10:41 remaining in the second half.
The Sparks took their first lead, 59-58, with 4:24 remaining in regulation on an Allison Feaster jump shot.
Woolridge played 11 players and his coaching counterpart, Brian Agler, played eight. Center Andrea Lloyd-Curry played 40 minutes. Guard Sonja Tate played 49 and wing Katie Smith 39.
Minnesota’s Brandy Reed, who scored 28 points in Minnesota’s 86-73 victory at the Great Western Forum last week, had a game-high 23 on Thursday. The Sparks’ Mwadi Mabika had 18 points and five assists in 43 minutes. However, she was two for 11 from three-point range.
“I told them at halftime this league is not about talent, it’s about heart and that they hadn’t shown any to that point,” Woolridge said.
Woolridge was critical of Lisa Leslie’s play at intermission. In foul trouble early, Leslie finished with four points and one rebound in 21 minutes.
“[Woolridge] really stuck it to us at halftime,” she said. “It was the worst game of my career and he was right about everything he said about me.”
Other WNBA Games
Tina Thompson scored a career-high 26 points and Houston pulled away with a 15-0 spurt midway through the first half and defeated the Cleveland Rockers, 76-64, at Houston. Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes added 13 points each for the Comets (9-1). Cleveland (2-8), which was led by 15 points from Michelle Edwards, made two runs in the second half to pull within six points, but Houston was able to stave off both charges. . . .
Vickie Johnson scored 22 points as the New York Liberty won its fourth consecutive home game, an 83-67 victory over the Phoenix Mercury before 13,739. Crystal Robinson added 17 points on five-for-five shooting from three-point range for New York (6-2), which remained in first place in the Eastern Conference. Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil had 20 points and Marlies Askamp added 17 for the Mercury (3-6). Jennifer Gillom, who leads Phoenix with 17.9 points a game, was held to nine. Phoenix has lost four of six in a franchise-high, seven-game trip that ends Saturday at Minnesota. . . .
Rebecca Lobo of the Liberty had surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament of her left knee. Norman Scott, team physician for the New York Knicks, and Susan Craig Scott, the Liberty’s physician, performed the one-hour operation at Beth Israel Hospital and said they expect Lobo to be fully recovered in time for the 2000 season. Lobo was injured in the opening minute of the team’s first game on June 10 against Cleveland at Madison Square Garden.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.