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SPARKS TONIGHT

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vs. Utah, 7:30

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Records--Starzz 2-4, Sparks 4-4.

* Radio--KEZY-AM (1190).

* Update--ABL teammates for 2 1/2 seasons, the Sparks’ DeLisha Milton and Utah’s Natalie Williams face each other for the first time since the folding of their league last December and the May WNBA draft, which distributed 35 ABL players to 12 teams. “No it won’t be strange playing against Natalie, because we went after each other in practice so many times,” Milton said. “It’s an advantage in the sense that I know all her tendencies, but she knows all of mine too.” The two, who played for the Portland Power, are offensive opposites. Milton--who had 20 points and nine rebounds in Los Angeles’ 76-73 victory at Sacramento on Saturday night--is a lean 6 feet 2 and whippet-fast. Williams is a powerful 6-1, a premier rebounder and a left-handed jump shooter and very accurate at mid-range. On a Starzz team that has lost four of its last five, Williams is averaging 17 points per game on 56% shooting and averages almost 11 rebounds per game. Only Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith has more rebounds. Utah is coached by former USC coach Fred Williams, who took over for Frank Layden, who resigned last week. The Sparks hope their defense-inspired win at Sacramento will be duplicated tonight because the team has a short, but tough trip next week, with games 23 1/2 hours apart in Minneapolis and Detroit on Thursday and Friday. The Sparks then return home to meet Jamila Wideman and the Cleveland Rockers next Monday.

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