Sparks Keep Rolling
If the Sparks and the Sacramento Monarchs are going to be WNBA rivals, somebody better inform the Monarchs.
The Sparks beat the Monarchs Saturday for the 10th consecutive time in the regular season, routing the host Monarchs, 79-61, before 10,481 at Arco Arena. The Sparks (6-0) are the league’s only undefeated team.
Lisa Leslie made one of eight shots in the first half but finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out. It was her fifth double-double of the season. Tamecka Dixon added 16 and DeLisha Milton added 14.
It was the Sparks’ largest margin of victory, but it had little to do with their offense. They forced the Monarchs (2-4) into bad shots (22 of 65, 33.8%) and induced 18 turnovers, including 10 steals by energetically overplaying the passing lanes and cutting off any Monarch who tried to drive the baseline.
“I thought [defensively] we were very prepared,” Coach Michael Cooper said. “It’s tough to play a team again after you played them 48 hours ago. But our effort was great from start to finish. We only had one turnover at halftime (eight for the game) and that’s the key for us. We can be our own worst enemy by turning the ball over and taking quick shots.”
Monarch point guard Ticha Penicheiro reinjured her surgically repaired right shoulder early in the game.
She is listed as day-to-day, and team officials will decide Monday if she can travel to Houston for a game there Tuesday.
“She is the leader of our offense and we sorely missed her,” Coach Maura McHugh said.
The Sparks were without Latasha Byears, who was excused from the game to handle a personal matter back in Los Angeles “with our blessing,” Cooper said.
In the first 12 minutes, Sacramento made just two of 18 shots, including a 0-for-11 stretch that lasted nearly eight minutes. The Monarchs compounded their problems by committing 11 turnovers -- eight unforced -- getting two technical fouls for having too many players on the floor and watching leading scorer Yolanda Griffith commit four early fouls. Griffith played 13 minutes before fouling out with four points.
The Sparks, who shot 37.7% (29 for 77), led, 42-21, at halftime and reached their biggest lead, 68-43, with 6:30 left to play.
“I was overanxious in the first half, but my teammates played great,” Leslie said. “If nothing else, I knew I could be there for them defensively. We were definitely in a good rotation and we were talking well on defense.”
-- Mike Terry
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In other WNBA games, Shannon Johnson scored 21 points and had eight assists for Connecticut (3-2) in a 65-58 victory over Houston before 5,032 fans at Uncasville, Conn. Houston (3-4) was without two-time league MVP Sheryl Swoopes for most of the game after she sprained her right ankle in the closing minutes of the first half.... Detroit (2-1) moved above the .500 mark for the first time in 86 games since June 2000 with a 74-55 victory over San Antonio (2-5) before 8,584 fans at San Antonio.... Tamika Catchings scored 24 points for Indiana (2-1) in an 86-66 victory over New York (2-2) before 8,502 fans at Indianapolis.... Lucienne Berthieu, who was averaging 2.5 points, scored 11 to help Cleveland (3-1) beat Charlotte (4-2), 67-57, before 6,294 fans at Cleveland.... Lauren Jackson had 27 points and 14 rebounds as Seattle (2-3) beat Phoenix (1-6), 66-57, before 6,549 fans at Seattle. The 22-year-old Australian star became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points in her career, finishing the game with 1,018. Jackson also became Seattle’s rebounding leader, finishing with 437 to pass Simone Edwards (424).
Associated Press contributed to this report.