Sparks Continue Home-Schooling Opponents
In a record-setting season the Sparks have shown they can win anywhere, but there’s no place like home for them.
After taking the first half to figure out the zone defense used by the Houston Comets, the Sparks dismantled the four-time defending WNBA champions, coming away with a 65-54 victory Saturday before 11,709 at Staples Center.
The Sparks’ league-record winning streak is at 18 games, and the Sparks became the first WNBA team to go undefeated at home for a season. The Sparks (27-3) won all 16 games in their first season at Staples Center, and have won a record 22 consecutive home games, dating to last season when they played at the Great Western Forum.
They also survived injuries to Tamecka Dixon (six points), who twisted her left ankle midway through the first half, and DeLisha Milton (11 points, eight rebounds), who sprained her left thumb before halftime. Both returned to the game.
“This is the first step to greatness,” Spark Coach Michael Cooper said. “This team has set itself apart from what any other WNBA champion has done.
“I don’t think [going unbeaten at home] will happen again. I don’t believe it will happen in the men’s league or women’s league because teams are too good. And after our league expands in a couple of years, it will be more difficult. So I commend these ladies for a great effort against the champions. But there is still that main goal--to be crowned the WNBA champion.”
The Comets know they are in for a tough haul to get a fifth championship.
Saturday’s loss dropped them to 18-12 and into a second-place tie with the Utah Starzz and Sacramento Monarchs in the Western Conference.
However, the Comets could end up as the No. 4 team for the playoffs. Sacramento has the tiebreaker over both teams with 2-1 head-to-head records. The Starzz hold the tiebreaker over the Comets.
The Comets, who were tied, 24-24, with the Sparks at halftime, had simple reasons for losing.
They made only 20 of 59 shots (33.9%) and were outrebounded, 43-24.
Forward Latasha Byears was a force under the basket, getting 17 rebounds and nine points for the Sparks. She had more offensive rebounds (six) than Houston did (five).
“Every time Byears sees [my teams] she just lights me up,” Houston Coach Van Chancellor said.
Houston was led by Janeth Arcain’s 20 points but couldn’t take advantage of Lisa Leslie’s worst game of the season. The favorite to be selected league most valuable player played only 23 minutes because of foul trouble, made two of 13 shots and scored a season-low seven points.
Mwadi Mabika stepped up, scoring 17 of a game-high 22 points in the second half.
After Leslie went to the bench with her fourth foul with 18:30 remaining in the second half and the Sparks leading, 28-25, Mabika, who was nine for 31 in her last four games, made consecutive three-point shots.
The baskets sent a jolt of adrenaline through the Sparks. Leslie stayed on the bench, and the Sparks went on a 19-6 spurt over a 5:56 span to go ahead, 44-34. It forced Houston out of its 1-3-1 matchup zone that had slowed the Sparks.
“We had never seen them play a zone that long against us,” Cooper said. “I take it as a sign of respect. Once Van’s teams get going, they are very tough defensively.”
Not this time. Although there were more than 12 minutes left to play, the Comets were done.
“Once Mabika scored those threes we could never overcome the gap,” Chancellor said. “But today we could never get anything going offensively.”
Said Cooper: “That’s the joy of coaching this team. We’ve always had one or two players step up and play a big role. For Mwadi, I wasn’t concerned about her [recent] shooting because if she’s not shooting consistently she still hits that one big shot for you. Or she does other things, like rebound and get assists. And she’s asked to guard some of the tougher shooting guards and small forwards in the league.”
The soft-spoken Mabika said she was determined to play aggressively.
“I was going to keep shooting even if I was missing,” said Mabika, who was six for 14 overall, but made four of seven three-point shots. “When I made those two threes in the second half I felt like I got my rhythm.”
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Sparks Flying
A look at the Sparks’ numbers before and during their record WNBA streak:
BEFORE
Record 9-3
Points per game 71.2
Points given up per game 66.6
DURING
Record 18-0
Points per game 80.1
Points given up per game 68.1