Sparks lose in double overtime
INDIANAPOLIS -- Tan White scored 11 of her 20 points in the second overtime, and the Indiana Fever held off the Sparks, 82-78, on Thursday night to hand Candace Parker her first professional loss.
Parker had 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocked shots, five assists and five steals. The rookie from Tennessee scored six points in the final minute of the second overtime to keep the Sparks in the game.
It was a wild game that featured failed dunk attempts by Parker and Lisa Leslie. Leslie, the only WNBA player to dunk in a regular-season game, finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.
The teams also combined for a league-record 27 blocked shots.
Katie Douglas led the Fever with 25 points and tied a team record with her fourth consecutive 20-point game. Ebony Hoffman had 10 points and 11 rebounds and Bernadette Ngoyisa added 14 points and nine rebounds for Indiana (3-1).
The second overtime belonged to White. She scored the Fever’s first basket of the period, then scored again on a baseline leaner that gave Indiana a 74-69 lead with 2:13 to play.
A jumper by White made it 78-74 with 39 seconds left, but Parker scored seven seconds later to make it 78-76.
White scored on a driving layup over Leslie with 10 seconds left to make it 80-76. Parker scored again with six seconds left, but White made two free throws to finish the game. White also had 10 rebounds and five assists.
In the first overtime, Shannon Bobbitt’s jumper put the Sparks (2-1) up, 69-67, with 16 seconds left, but Hoffman’s putback on the other end forced a second overtime.
The Fever led throughout the first quarter, but Parker provided the most spectacular moment. She blocked a shot, leading to a fastbreak. She got into the open court and appeared to be going up for a dunk when she lost control of the ball.
Parker continued to struggle in the second quarter, and the Fever led, 37-22, at halftime. Parker went scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting, while Douglas had 14 points at the break.
Leslie missed a dunk attempt with 8:43 left in the third.