Playoff Spot Comes Quickly to Sparks
On a relatively routine Sunday afternoon, the Sparks took care of a little WNBA business and began to sketch out their blueprint for the postseason.
By subduing Indiana, 80-62, before 13,141 at Staples Center, Los Angeles (20-4) became the first WNBA team to clinch a playoff berth. The victory, coupled with Houston’s loss in New York, enabled the Sparks to increase their lead in the Western Conference to two games.
The game was a reminder of what makes the Sparks a formidable opponent.
For all their inside strength in Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton, Latasha Byears and Marlies Askamp, the Sparks need good perimeter shooting to force opposing defenses from surrounding their bigger players on the inside.
Enter Mwadi Mabika.
The sixth-year guard, who celebrated her 26th birthday on Saturday, has been the Sparks’ best outside threat this season. And when she has performances like Sunday’s--a game-high 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists--Mabika opens opportunities for the rest of the Sparks too.
“Anytime you have someone who can shoot the lights out, it gets you a lot of cheapies and freebies on the inside,” said Milton, who had 12 points and three rebounds before fouling out. “Mwadi really helps us out in that aspect. And the funny thing is, we really don’t run plays for her. She is so strong and athletic she can shoot over anybody. Just imagine if we ran a lot of screens [to free] her. It would be vicious.”
Added Leslie, who had 20 points and nine rebounds: “Mwadi’s always been our shooter. But she’s so consistent this year. We pass out to her, she puts it up, and more often than not it’s going in. It feels good to have someone who’s going to make most of the shots she shoots. It helps the rest of us relax.”
Mabika, who made nine of 14 shots overall and four of seven from beyond the three-point arc, was modest about her play. “Everything is just working out well,” she said. “I decided early this year I had to come out aggressive every night. And that’s what I’m doing.”
Mabika quickly served notice it would be her day by drilling a three-point shot to put the Sparks ahead, 6-2, at the 17:42 mark. Minutes later, she scored six points during a 12-0 Spark spurt that increased the lead to 22-6, and the Fever (10-14) never got the deficit below double digits after that.
On defense, the Sparks limited rookie forward Tamika Catchings to 10 points, eight below her league-leading average. They also outrebounded the Fever, 42-26, and held Indiana to 35.4% shooting. The Sparks made 50.7%.
“This is the best team in the league one through 11,” Indiana Coach Nell Fortner said of L.A. “They don’t even have to play all their weapons. They can beat you with the first five.”
With Houston’s loss Sunday, the Sparks have a two-game Western Conference lead with eight regular-season games to go.
“We have to keep doing what we did today,” Leslie said. “We executed our offense; we ran when we needed to, slowed down when we needed to. Today we wanted to keep the turnovers down. You watch the Lakers play, and you know they get to a point where they have to tighten the screws. That’s where we are now.”
Added Milton: “We’re thinking 14 more games. That includes the playoffs. We’re not overlooking anybody, not trying to be conceited. But we have to be in championship mode from now on.”
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In other WNBA games:
Tamika Whitmore had 15 points and nine rebounds as the Liberty defeated the Houston Comets, 62-56, at New York.... Sue Bird’s 18 points led the Seattle Storm over the Detroit Shock, 72-59, at Auburn Hills, Mich.... Katie Douglas made a running one-hander in the lane with 55 seconds to go in overtime to help the Orlando Miracle defeat the Rockers at Cleveland, 76-70.... Yolando Griffith had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lift the host Sacramento Monarchs over the Minnesota Lynx, 66-56.