FIRST LOOK
SPARKS vs. UTAH
Game 1: Thursday, 7 p.m., ESPN2
How they match up:
Small forward: Mwadi Mabika (16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds) vs. Adrienne Goodson (15.7, 5.7). Mabika had the breakout season some have been predicting and was the league’s sixth-best scorer. But she also has not practiced this week after a left ankle sprain in Saturday’s playoff victory over Seattle. Goodson was 10th in scoring and plays at a relentless pace that belies her age (35). Both players are streak shooters who can take over a game.
Advantage: Even.
Power forward: Marlies Askamp (1.8, 1.8) vs. Natalie Williams (11.3, 8.2). Askamp, who came to Los Angeles from Miami in a midseason trade, moved into the starting lineup on Aug 9, and the Sparks have won all five games she has played. Her biggest outing in those five games was a 12-point, five-rebound effort against Utah. Williams had a rather quiet regular season but is still one of the league’s strongest players and best rebounders.
Advantage: Utah.
Center: Lisa Leslie (16.9, 10.4) vs. Margo Dydek (13.1, 8.7). Leslie’s regular season wasn’t quite as spectacular as her 2001 most valuable player year. But she dominated Seattle in the playoffs, averaging 23.5 points in the two games. Dydek is the league’s tallest player (7 foot 2) and a defensive wall on the inside, averaging 3.57 blocked shots. Dydek should be a better scoring threat, but she is not quick and can have trouble getting her shot off when surrounded defensively.
Advantage: Sparks.
Shooting guard: Tamecka Dixon (10.6, 4.0 assists) vs. Marie Ferdinand (15.3, 2.8). Dixon, who often struggled in the regular season, shooting 39.1% from the field, looked revitalized against Seattle. Her ability to penetrate and her playoff experience are the only edge against Ferdinand, a second-year player blossoming into one of the league’s best.
Advantage: Sparks.
Point guard: Nikki Teasley (6.4, 4.4) vs. Jennifer Azzi (9.6, 4.9). Azzi can be a deadly three-point shooter if left alone, but these days has to get by more on experience than athleticism. Teasley is the exact opposite, getting by on athleticism.
Advantage: Sparks.
The series: The Sparks swept the season series, 3-0, and have defeated the Starzz seven of the last nine meetings. Utah, one of the few teams willing to run with Los Angeles, will fight fatigue after upsetting Houston on Tuesday night to reach the conference finals. The Starzz can steal Game 1 here, as they did in the Houston series. The Sparks need to have Leslie stay as hot as she was against Seattle, and for Mabika to regain her 2002 All-Star form.
Pick: Sparks in three.