Sun Flattens Sparks, 90-70
The Sparks knew coming into Monday’s game that the Connecticut Sun was the WNBA’s highest-scoring team.
During the game Los Angeles found out why.
The defending Eastern Conference champions burned the Sparks with a rip-roaring fastbreak style that built a 20-point halftime lead and went on to produce a 90-70 victory before 7,246 at Staples Center.
It was the eighth consecutive victory (a franchise record) for the 8-1 Sun, which hasn’t lost since its season opener against Detroit on May 21. The loss ended the Sparks’ three-game winning streak and dropped them to 6-5.
There wasn’t much the Sparks could offer in their defense because, as they acknowledged, they didn’t have a defense to slow down the Sun.
Connecticut, which led, 47-27, at halftime, shot 53% (35 of 66) and had four players in double figures, led by Nykesha Sales, who had 26 points, and Katie Douglas, who had 18. The Sun also dominated the boards, 39-25, which helped compensate for 19 turnovers.
Chamique Holdsclaw had 23 points for the Sparks and Lisa Leslie added 13 on four-for-15 shooting, but no other Spark player had more than nine.
“It’s a good team, a very good team and I give them a lot of credit,” Spark Coach Henry Bibby said of Connecticut and its coach, Mike Thibault. “They’re quick and know their personnel; [Thibault] does a nice job. But we didn’t have any energy, we were flat, and were going through the motions.”
Tamecka Dixon echoed Bibby’s sentiment. “We didn’t play Sparks basketball. We didn’t do anything to deter what they did. With us, it starts with defense and energy. And when you don’t have those two things it’s difficult to win, especially when we have offensive lulls.”
For Connecticut, which leads the East, this was the first of four road games in six days, and six consecutive games against Western Conference teams. This stretch would be a great test under most conditions, but Thibault said it’s an even greater measuring stick this time because the Sun reached the league finals last year.
“We have beaten some good teams,” Thibault said, including victories over Seattle and Detroit. “This trip should teach us a little more about handling adverse road situations like calls that go against you, crowds.”
In other news, the update on injured Spark forward Laura Macchi was not promising. Macchi, who has been sidelined by a broken bone in her right foot since her arrival on June 5, still cannot consistently put weight on the injury and has no estimated return date. Her status is considered day to day, but she is probably still unavailable for another two weeks.