Sparks Try to Apply the Finishing Move
It’s no wonder the Sparks finished the regular season with a 28-4 record, best in the WNBA.
They won 13 of 16 road games, including 12 of their last 13.
As impressive as that is, they are even better at home.
Today, for the first time since July 27, Los Angeles is the home team.
At the Great Western Forum, they’re 15-1, and therein lies the challenge for Coach Cheryl Miller and the Phoenix Mercury. It must defeat the Sparks at the Forum or be eliminated from the Western Conference playoffs.
Los Angeles’ only loss at home was to expansion Portland, 80-77, on July 11. The Sparks then won their next 12 before losing their regular-season finale at Utah, 89-77, on Wednesday.
On Friday, in perhaps their best performance since an 84-74 victory at Houston on July 29, the Sparks opened the playoffs with an 86-71 victory at Phoenix.
Of course, maybe the Sparks have forgotten what it’s like to play at the Forum. On Saturday they had their first practice at the building in 17 days.
“I had them shoot 30 minutes at each basket,” Coach Michael Cooper said. “I wanted to make sure they hadn’t forgotten what our baskets look like.”
Are the Sparks, now 3-0 against Phoenix, primed for a letdown? No chance, guard Tamecka Dixon said.
“The way we guard against a letdown is to remind ourselves how important the playoffs are, how hard we worked to get here and how bad we want to stay here,” she said.
Cooper is hoping for a repeat of Friday night, when the Sparks limited the Mercury’s Brandy Reed to only 17 points. Reed scored 25 points against Los Angeles on Aug. 5 in the Sparks’ 77-63 victory at Phoenix. But with Mwadi Mabika guarding her early Friday, Reed didn’t touch the ball until four minutes into the game.
Mabika, DeLisha Milton and Allison Feaster all took turns defending Reed.
“The key to stopping Brandy is to give her a variety of looks, with Mabika’s quickness, then Milton’s size and Feaster’s strength,” Cooper said.
Cooper won’t discuss the Sparks’ unbeaten record against Phoenix.
“All we’re thinking about is how we’re going to play this game [today]--like we’re 0-0 with this team,” he said.
The Sparks might see a new Mercury starter in guard Bridget Pettis, who played 25 minutes Friday and had 14 points and four assists.
“That’s something we’ll definitely look into,” Miller said. “It’s not about hurting people’s feelings, it’s about trying to get a win.”
Pettis has played behind Tonya Edwards, who scored only five points Friday.