Sparks’ Great Start Becomes Foul Loss

There are wins during a season that catapult teams to great heights, and losses that send them plummeting.

The Sparks have to hope the latter didn’t happen to them at Detroit on Sunday when they blew a 25-point first-half lead and lost to the Shock, 79-73, in front of an announced 9,135 at the Palace of Auburn Hills and a national television audience.

Deanna Nolan scored 22 points and Cheryl Ford added 15 points and 15 rebounds -- her 31st career double-double in three seasons -- to help the Shock (6-5) end a four-game losing streak.

It also marked the biggest comeback in WNBA history, bettering the 23-point deficit Detroit erased to defeat Indiana on June 9, 2004.

“I thought we were in control in the first half,” Spark Coach Henry Bibby said. “You know they are going to make a run here and there. But I also thought we would regroup and be ready to play in the second half.

“We came out in the second half and did not move the basketball. They got fastbreaks, we got in foul trouble and we settled for jump shots.”

Tamika Whitmore led the Sparks (7-6) with 19 points. Chamique Holdsclaw had 17 points and tied a career high with seven assists before fouling out. But Holdsclaw had only two points and one assist in the second half. She also turned her right ankle late in the second half. She was helped off the court but returned to the game.

Bibby said he expected Holdsclaw to be available for Tuesday’s game at Indiana. “We did have X-rays on the ankle, and she should be ready to go,” he said. “She just won’t practice [today].”

Lisa Leslie had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Although the Sparks were short-handed -- Mwadi Mabika (knee) and Christi Thomas (ankle) did not make the trip -- they used an early 9-0 run to take a 20-6 lead at the 13:23 mark. Holdsclaw, who made six of her first seven shots and had 15 first-half points, made a three-pointer to make the score 27-8. Detroit was compounding its problems with nine turnovers in its first 19 possessions.

The Sparks took a 35-10 lead on Leslie’s hook shot with 7:37 to play in the first half before the Shock began to stir behind Nolan and Elaine Powell (10 points). It also helped that Whitmore, who was almost as hot as Holdsclaw in the first half (11 points), had to go to the bench with her third foul.

Detroit outscored the Sparks, 22-10, during the remainder of the half to cut the lead to 45-32. The Shock players kept the momentum when they came out of the locker room.

Whitmore and Leslie were each whistled for fifth fouls early in the second half, lessening the Sparks’ intensity on defense. That signaled Detroit to become more aggressive.

The Shock took over the boards, finishing with a 42-31 edge and forced the Sparks into 24% field-goal shooting in the second half after they made 59% in the first half.

A 14-0 Shock run took Detroit from a 62-54 deficit to a 68-62 lead. The Sparks got back to within one, 68-67, but never regained the lead.

Despite the collapse, Bibby said there was no need for locker-room histrionics.

“We played hard, but we were depleted and got worn down,” he said. “We will turn the corner. We just have to keep fighting and not give up.”

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Terry reported from Los Angeles.

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Shocking

Detroit’s victory Sunday broke its WNBA record for biggest comeback in a game. (PB is points behind):

*--* PB DATE FINAL 25 June 26, 2005 Detroit 79, Sparks 73 23 June 9, 2004 Detroit 83, Indiana 79

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