Sparks Hold Off Storm
There were stretches of Tuesday’s game between the Sparks and Seattle Storm that looked like the kind of the basketball that’s expected to be seen nightly in the WNBA this season -- close on the scoreboard and hotly contested.
But there were other stretches, primarily in the second half, where the game was reduced to an unwatchable, whistle-blowing affair with free throws on the side.
That the Sparks trudged out of Staples Center with a 73-70 victory before 8,652 was the main positive for Los Angeles. That and four players in double figures, led by Mwadi Mabika with a game-high 19.
Whether the three-person officiating crew had to call 52 fouls -- or needed to -- is moot. What it did was completely drain the game of any flow or energy, as the teams spent most of the second half parading back and forth between their free-throw lines. The Storm (2-2) made 22 of 30 attempts while the Sparks made 23 of 25.
Seattle Coach Anne Donovan looked as if she had things she wanted to say but had no comment when asked about the seemingly inordinate number of fouls. Spark Coach Michael Cooper did venture some thoughts, although he probably risks some capital retribution by the league hierarchy.
“The officiating is what it is,” Cooper said. “It’s not good in the NBA and it’s not good here.
“But we can’t gripe about that. If you come out and play with energy and passion, it doesn’t matter what the officials do.”
The Sparks players also tried to say as much as they could without risking fines.
“With that many fouls being called it does take the life out of the game. Because there seems to be an adjustment every minute by the players” said Teresa Weatherspoon, who played in her 225th WNBA game and is one of five players to have never missed a game since the league started.
“The game is a physical game, men or women. All we’ve ever said is let us play. As long as there is consistency, I don’t think anyone would have anything to say. But this still isn’t just a touch and a foul game. It’s hard to play having to make adjustments every second of the game.”
Added the Sparks’ Lisa Leslie: “Honestly ... it reminded me of the second quarter of the Lakers’ game [Monday] night.”
Leslie had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Sparks’ biggest lead was seven, the Storm’s four. There were six ties and about 1,000 yawns.
Seattle, which had five players in double figures, led by Lauren Jackson with 17 points, had five three-point shots to try to tie the score in the final seconds, but missed them all.
Although the Storm missed its first eight shots, the Sparks were unable to put any significant distance between them and Seattle. And once the visitors tied the score at 15, then took a 17-15 lead on a reverse layup by Kamila Vodichkova, the game became a give-and-take affair that saw Los Angeles holding a 33-29 halftime lead.
Late in the first half Leslie, on a breakaway, nearly dunked the ball, but instead bounced it off the back of the rim. She also held on to the rim slightly, which didn’t give the ball a chance to fall back into the basket.
This was her third career attempt at a dunk. She has completed one, on July 30, 2002 against the since-disbanded Miami Sol. Leslie remains the only player to dunk in a WNBA game.
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In other games: Tari Phillips scored 10 of her 12 points in the last seven minutes and the New York Liberty held on for a 63-53 victory over the Charlotte Sting in front of 3,098 at Charlotte, N.C. It was New York’s fourth victory in a row.... Tamika Catchings scored 20 points and Natalie Williams had 17 to lead the Indiana Fever to a 79-60 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars in front of 6,417 at San Antonio.
Penny Taylor, Anna DeForge and Shereka Wright scored 16 points apiece and the Phoenix Mercury set a franchise record with 11 three-point baskets in a 73-63 victory over the Houston Comets in front of 5,147 at Phoenix.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.