Sparks Manage Overtime Victory
Is there time for a recount?
Neither Spark center Lisa Leslie nor Minnesota Lynx guard Katie Smith was elected to the starting lineup of the WNBA’s Western Conference team for next week’s All-Star game. But during the Sparks’ 100-95 overtime victory over Minnesota before 7,658 Sunday at Staples Center, both made compelling arguments why they should have been.
In helping the Sparks (14-3) to their fifth consecutive victory, which gave them a one-game lead in the Western Conference and averted the embarrassment of blowing a 17-point second-half lead, Leslie notched her league-leading ninth double-double with a career-high 32 points and 13 rebounds.
Four of Leslie’s points, two of them on a layup after ripping an offensive rebound out Lynx forward Erin Buescher’s hands, came during the Sparks’ 12-4 run in the first four minutes of overtime to give L.A. a 93-85 lead.
Smith? She definitely was not the weakest Lynx. She poured in a WNBA-record 46 points Sunday, breaking the mark of 44 set by Houston’s Cynthia Cooper in 1997.
After being limited to 13 points in the first half, Smith came up with 26 points in the second half, and added seven of her team’s 14 points in overtime.
“I think Katie and I were a bit focused tonight,” Leslie said. “I’d like to think we also made a point to the league about who should be starting in the All-Star game.”
Smith would have given back all her points if the Lynx (5-10), who trailed, 52-35, with 13:29 to play in the second half, had been able to hold onto the upset after going ahead, 78-73, with 54 seconds to play, and still leading, 81-78, with 18 seconds remaining.
But Spark guard Ukari Figgs forced the overtime by sinking a three-point shot with 15 seconds left.
Figgs finished with 13 points, as did Mwadi Mabika, who had sat out four games because of tendinitis in her left knee.
Before the game Leslie--who celebrated her 29th birthday Saturday--knew she had been passed by Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith in the voting for an All-Star starting berth. She did not appear overly upset.
“I’m fine with it. It’s an All-Star game,” Leslie said. “I’d go there to work if I was a starter or reserve.
“Maybe it is sign to the Southern California fans, letting the Northern California fans beat us out.”
Cooper was not amused: “Maybe the voting process needs to be adjusted. I’m not saying the people on there aren’t deserving, but how can Lisa not be a starter?”
Cooper had some other feelings of displeasure after the game.
“We went up 17 on [Minnesota]. This is a situation where our team needs to learn to do things. It’s not about me calling time out, it’s about us working through are problems.”
In other WNBA games, Helen Darling scored 18 points as the Cleveland Rockers (12-5) won, 63-53, at Houston (12-3) to end the Comets’ seven-game home winning streak before 11,036. . . . Tari Phillips had 24 points and made two free throws with four seconds remaining to lead the New York Liberty (12-5) over the Indiana Fever (5-10), 58-56, before 8,364 at Indianapolis. . . . Marie Ferdinand scored four of her 13 points in the final minute as the Utah Starzz (7-8) rallied for a 65-63 victory over the Fire (9-7) before 8,759 at Portland, Ore. . . . Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Shannon Johnson each had 19 points to lead the Miracle (5-10) over the Detroit Shock (4-11), 73-67, before 6,870 at Orlando, Fla.