Milton-Led Defense Cuts Down Mercury
DeLisha Milton spearheaded the Sparks’ best game-long defensive effort of the season Sunday afternoon at the Great Western Forum, and her team saved its best defense for the final minutes, when it needed it most.
The result was a 67-58 L.A. victory over Phoenix, before 6,392, giving the Sparks their seventh victory in their last eight games. In the final 2:11, the Mercury were held without a field goal.
The difference, Spark Coach Orlando Woolridge said, was Milton, the the team’s top 1999 draft choice who had 14 points and eight rebounds while limiting the Mercury’s All-Star center, Jennifer Gillom--who averages 17 per game--to 11 points, five in the first half.
Woolridge also put two new starters in the lineup, guard Gordana Grubin and forward La’Keshia Frett, and while the defensive intensity early seemed at a higher level, the same slow-starting stutter-step offense remained, accounting for an L.A. halftime deficit of 29-26.
Phoenix (3-10), losing for the second time in four days to the Sparks (10-5), retained a 42-40 lead with 10:11 to play on a Bridget Pettis three-point shot, but then the L.A. offense ignited.
Lisa Leslie, Nina Bjedov and Tamecka Dixon led a 13-0 run, giving the Sparks a 53-42 lead with 4:58 to go. Then Phoenix, led by Marlies Askamp and Gillom, had a 10-4 run of its own.
After a free throw by Edna Campbell (17 points) closed the Sparks’ lead to 57-55 with 1:22 to go, Mwadi Mabika scored on an acrobatic putback of a miss by Dixon, and the Sparks padded their margin with a parade to the free-throw line.
Other Games
Cynthia Cooper scored six of her 31 points in the final 2:50 and the Houston Comets (13-2) held off a late Sacramento rally for a 68-63 victory at Houston. Ruthie Bolton-Holifield led Sacramento (10-5) with 20 points. . . . Brandy Reed made a running 10-foot shot as time expired and the Minnesota Lynx (7-5) ended the New York Liberty’s home winning streak at five games with a 58-56 victory. New York fell to 8-5. . . . The Charlotte Sting (5-7) fired coach and general manager Marynell Meadors. Assistant coach Dan Hughes was named interim coach.