Sparks Throw a Roadblock at the Monarchs

That mental toughness the Sparks said they developed this season, making them a better team?

Maybe they knew what they were talking about.

The Sparks were the WNBA’s top-scoring team this season. But they made two big defensive plays Friday night and squeezed past the Sacramento Monarchs, 74-73, in the opener of the Western Conference finals.

The Monarchs had possession for the final 15.6 seconds of the game and got the ball to their best player, Yolanda Griffith, who missed a 12-foot baseline shot with 2.1 seconds remaining. The ball went out of bounds to the Monarchs.

Tangela Smith took the inbounds pass but had a 15-footer blocked by Lisa Leslie. Smith got the ball back and forced it up and into the outstretched arms of DeLisha Milton as time ran out, much to the chagrin of the 8,502 fans who were pleading “Beat L.A.” from the moment they entered Arco Arena.

With the victory the Sparks take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and can wrap up a berth in the league championship finals when the teams meet Sunday at Staples Center. A third game, if necessary, would be played at Staples Monday.

“The biggest block of my career,” said Leslie, who had four of the nine blocked shots recorded by the Sparks, two shy of the league playoff record they set against Sacramento two years ago. “This was probably the third game this season where we had to have a defensive stop to win the game. But Coach [Michael] Cooper has had us focus on defense. We felt the hardest thing would be to be on offense trying to get a basket.”

That was the case for the Monarchs, who finished second to the Sparks in the Westbut have lost all four meetings between the teams this season.

Griffith may have led all scorers with 18 points but the double-and triple-teaming Spark defense forced her to miss 11 of 16 shots--her last field goal came with three minutes to play--and kept her off the boards as well. The league’s leading rebounder had only six in 39 minutes.

The Monarchs tied a WNBA playoff record by making nine three-point shots (in 20 attempts), and all five starters were in double figures. But Sacramento shot 32.8% overall, while the Sparks made 50% of their shots. Sacramento--which trailed, 35-34, at halftime--stayed in the game at the free-throw line, making 20 of 22. Los Angeles made eight of 14.

Monarch Coach Maura McHugh had another view of the frantic finish.

“[The Sparks] were holding us,” McHugh said of the last play. “We were trying to go down and get a screen, and they just had a lock on us. It was set up for Tangela to come up, and the other option was for Yolanda going to the basket.”

Edna Campbell said her team’s 13 turnovers had much to do with the Sacramento loss.

“Too many mistakes,” said Campbell, who had 15 points. “We cut out half those turnovers and I think we win.”

All five Sparks starters scored in double figures, led by Milton and Mwadi Mabika with 15 each. Leslie had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Tamecka Dixon had 14 points and a game-high six assists.

“I thought this was a very well-played game,” Cooper said. “If you look at the stats--these teams are so similar. But I thought our defense was up to par tonight. “I don’t think we are that good a perimeter defensive team. But where [we make it] hard is when teams get into the [lane]. We’ve got some good people who can block shots.”

So Sacramento has to do what no team has been able to do this season--beat the Sparks at L.A. And Sacramento has to do it twice.

“They’ll be tough,” Dixon said. “But they have to be thinking about us a little more. It was important to come into the opponents’ court and win one. We’ll feel good to get to our court. We’ve put the pressure on them.”

Said Cooper: “They’re a tough team. And this is the postseason. They will come in hard on Sunday. And if we don’t come out and play hard, we can lose [at Staples Center as well] as anywhere else.”

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WNBA Playoffs

Conference finals (best-of-3)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Sparks vs. Sacramento

* Game 1: Sparks 74-73

* Sunday: at Sparks, 2 p.m.

* Monday: at Sparks, 7 p.m.*

EASTERN CONFERENCE

New York vs. Charlotte

* Game 1: New York 61-57

* Sunday: at New York, 11 a.m.

* Monday: at New York, 5 p.m.*

* -if necessary

*

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