Two starters return, but Sparks lose in overtime
Point guard Temeka Johnson made her long-awaited season debut and forward-center Taj McWilliams-Franklin returned to the starting lineup Sunday night, but that was about it as far as good news for the Sparks.
By the time the home team had dropped a 74-71 overtime decision to the Chicago Sky at Staples Center, Johnson was sidelined again and the Sparks (7-8) had lost for the sixth time in eight games.
The WNBA’s 2005 rookie of the year, who sat out the season’s first six weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery in February, limped off in the fourth quarter and remained on the bench, her right knee wrapped in ice.
“My knee just buckled,” said Johnson, who indicated she was being prudent by opting out with about four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. “Trying to get back into the rhythm of doing things and whatnot, it just buckled. I don’t want to overdo it. I want to be able to play when I’m needed the most. This game was important, but once it buckled, I wanted to make sure that everything was OK.”
Johnson, a surprise starter who finished with two points, three assists, three turnovers and two steals in 16 minutes, was hopeful that she could play again Tuesday at Seattle but added, “We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
Coach Michael Cooper was encouraged by Johnson’s return.
“You see her conditioning is off a little bit,” he said, “but you could see she gave us some leadership out there. It was nice to see her play. ... Hopefully, we didn’t hurt her.”
McWilliams-Franklin, sidelined the previous two games because of a sore right hamstring played only 11 minutes, scoring eight points. Cooper, who angrily lit into his team after Friday night’s 80-68 loss to the New York Liberty, was again disappointed after the Sparks squandered an eight-point fourth-quarter lead.
“This is a game we should have won,” he said. “We’re just not getting it done, and when you don’t get it done, you lose games.”
Candice Dupree led the Sky (8-8) with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Her jump shot with nine seconds to play in the fourth quarter sent the game into overtime. Reserve Christi Thomas led the Sparks with 14 points.
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Lisa Leslie, who brought her newborn daughter to Friday’s game, could resume playing for the Sparks as early as this month, co-owner Kathy Goodman said before the game. Leslie was expected to sit out the season on maternity leave but said in May that she was considering an August return.... Co-owner Carla Christofferson was on crutches after suffering a broken left foot Friday when she fell down a flight of stairs in her home.