Lennox Breaks Down Sparks at Seattle, 77-72
The Sparks have battled injuries all season, but Sunday night, it was an injured opponent that hurt them most.
Betty Lennox, despite tendinitis in her sore shooting wrist, delivered a three-point shot with 27.4 seconds left to help lift the Seattle Storm over the Sparks, 77-72, at Seattle.
The three-pointer by Lennox, who finished with 17 points, gave the Storm (14-10) a 74-70 edge. The Sparks’ Tamika Whitmore responded with two free throws with 23.5 seconds left to make it 74-72, but Seattle closed out the victory with free throws by Lauren Jackson and Janell Burse.
It was a painful loss for the Sparks (11-12), who were playing without starters Nikki Teasley and Mwadi Mabika. L.A., which has dropped five of its last six games, has not had a losing record this late in the season since 1998, when it finished 12-18.
Lisa Leslie and Chamique Holdsclaw, each of whom has been sidelined by injuries this season, combined to score 14 of the Sparks’ last 16 points, but L.A. never regained the lead after Holdsclaw gave the Sparks a 66-64 edge with 3:26 left. Holdsclaw finished with 17 points and Leslie with 18.
The teams combined for 44 fouls -- 29 by the Sparks -- in the physical game in which Seattle outrebounded L.A., 37-20.
Detroit 66, Phoenix 63 -- Kara Braxton’s 16 points helped the Shock (10-12) overcome a 17-point, second-half deficit to win at Detroit.
It was the Shock’s first game with Katie Smith, who was acquired Saturday in a trade with Minnesota. Smith came off the bench to score six points and three assists in 24 minutes. Of her nine shots, she made only two, both three-pointers.
The Shock committed 25 turnovers that led to 31 points, but its defense limited the Mercury (10-13) to 19-for-48 shooting, and Detroit outrebounded Phoenix, 38-19.
“I’m excited to have a chance to help out a good team,” said Smith, a former U.S. Olympian.
Sacramento 67, Minnesota 54 -- Rebekkah Brunson had 14 points to lead the Monarchs (17-7) over the Lynx (11-13) at Sacramento. Minnesota, which shot 36.5% and committed 21 turnovers, was playing its first game since trading Smith, the last player from the franchise’s original 1999 team.
Chandi Jones and Stacey Thomas, who were acquired from the Shock in the trade, did not play and were expected to join the Lynx for Wednesday’s game at Phoenix.
“It was definitely a little different, playing without Katie,” Minnesota center Nicole Ohlde said. “Everyone had a little bit of the jitters. We didn’t know what it was going to feel like. Yesterday was pretty emotional for us, finding out about the trade, that kind of stuff.”
New York 67, Indiana 53 -- The Liberty (12-11) went to a zone defense early in the second half and beat the Fever (14-9) at New York. Ann Wauters had a career-high 24 points.