Sparks May Face Their Final Exam

The Sparks have a pair of puzzles to solve if they are going to extend their first-round Western Conference playoff series against Sacramento beyond tonight.

Puzzle No. 1: How to best attack the Monarchs’ defense, something that has baffled most teams in the league.

The Monarchs lost nine games in the regular season, but their longest losing streak was two.

Now they are on another roll, having won six of their last seven including Wednesday’s 75-72 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

Sacramento has given up 80 points only once this season, in a June 11 loss to the Sparks, 81-74. It holds down teams with a group of 6-3 post players and a backcourt rotation that ranges from 5-11 to 6-1, a cohesive unit that is long-limbed and quick-footed.

Puzzle No. 2: How to get the ball to Lisa Leslie for more shots.

The WNBA’s all-time leading scorer has averaged only 9.5 points against Sacramento this season. And she was held in check again on Wednesday, making four of nine shots and scoring 12 points.

Certainly the Monarchs will double- and triple-team Leslie inside when necessary. But they are also comfortable with leaving veteran Yolanda Griffith alone on Leslie.

Griffith seems to enjoy the challenge.

“She does a good job on Lisa, and I think Lisa is the best post player in the world,” Monarch Coach John Whisenant said.

“I think Yolanda is tough enough and competitive enough, and she won’t let Lisa intimidate her. So that puts us in a better position than most, because we have Yo.”

The issue becomes more critical for the Sparks when considering how some of the other starters performed Wednesday.

Chamique Holdsclaw has, predictably, been a handful for defenders; she averaged nearly 15 points a game against the Monarchs during the regular season, and scored 24 in Game 1. But Tamecka Dixon, Mwadi Mabika and Tamika Whitmore were held to a combined seven points.

Whitmore’s lack of production, three points, was particularly glaring given that she averaged 11.8 points against Sacramento this season.

“Sacramento is a really good team,” said Spark Coach Joe Bryant. “They play rough, they play physical, and they throw you off your game with the nature of the game they play.”

Bryant can accept the Monarchs’ style of play because the Sparks should have enough offense to defeat it.

What he could not handle was how badly his team was beaten off the boards Wednesday; Sacramento nearly doubled the Sparks’ rebound total, 29-15.

“We should really learn from this game that from the beginning of the game we need to play with a little more intensity, and we have to rebound. That’s the key,” Bryant said.

If they don’t learn quickly, school will be out after tonight.