Prepping for the Playoffs
The long and unwieldy road that has been the 2003 WNBA regular season is about to come to an end. And the Sparks are once again in the place they want to be, even if they’re not completely sure how they got there.
With three games remaining, starting with tonight’s game against Minnesota, the Sparks (21-10) are back on top of the Western Conference by one game over Houston. This in a season where the two-time defending league champions have had key injuries (Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton and Tamecka Dixon), distractions (Latasha Byears, who was waived and is being investigated for allegedly taking part in a sexual assault on a teammate), and their most regular-season losses since 1999.
Remarkably, they remain one game behind Eastern Conference leader Detroit for the league’s best record. More important, they control their destiny in how they can plan for the playoffs. Win out this week, and the top-seeded spot is theirs for the fourth straight year.
“If you had told me in May how the season would have unfolded I wouldn’t have believed it,” Dixon said. “We couldn’t have imagined the string of injuries we went through ... it’s just been a roller-coaster ride for us. But I think we have rebounded. Even though we’re not 100%, we have our pieces in place.”
None more important than Leslie. The Sparks stumbled through the second half, going 4-7 until Leslie, who injured her knee in the July 15 All-Star game, returned last Thursday in Minnesota. Milton, who missed three games because of an ankle sprain, also came back that night, and the Sparks picked up crucial road wins in Minnesota and Houston.
The Sparks are still looking for a home-court advantage. They are 8-6 in Staples Center this season, the worst home record of any WNBA team above .500.
Even if the Sparks were finishing the season on the road, however, Milton said there would be an urgency to finish the season strong.
“It’s the same story as every year -- we need to play well going into the playoffs,” she said. “We want to take these [final] games as a foundation to build upon. It’s going to be important to not just get wins, but solid wins. Not playing 20 or 30 minutes, but 40 minutes of good basketball.”
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SPARKS TONIGHT
vs. Minnesota, 7:30
Fox Sports Net 2, NBATV
Site -- Staples Center.
Radio -- KPLS (830).
Records -- Sparks 21-10, Lynx 18-14
Record vs. Lynx -- 3-0.
Update -- Since losing the first meeting between the teams on June 24, 1999, the Sparks have won 15 consecutive games against the Lynx. Minnesota is battling Sacramento and Seattle for the last two playoff slots in the West. The Sparks and the Houston Comets have clinched playoff berths, but the Sparks are still trying to win the West outright and catch Detroit for the league’s best record. Spark playoff tickets go on sale today at 11 a.m. at Staples Center. Players will be signing autographs from 11 a.m. to noon there.
Tickets -- (213) 480-3232 or (877) 962-2849.