Parker leads Sparks to win

It took three years for the Sparks to finally win again in San Antonio, and it took overtime to do it.

Candace Parker had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Sparks to a 67-66 overtime win against the Silver Stars on Friday night.

“I thought it was a very good game,” Sparks Coach Michael Cooper said. “Everything is on the line now, and I’m glad we got the win.”

Noelle Quinn scored all four of the Sparks’ points in overtime to give them the margin for victory. Her layup with 2:14 left in overtime proved to be the difference in the game.

Sophia Young, who scored a career-high 31 points, responded with a three-point play with 2:02 left to cut the deficit to 67-66, but both teams went scoreless the rest of the way.

Becky Hammon’s layup with two seconds left fell short.

Hammon finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson each had 14 to help the Sparks win in San Antonio for the first time since July 26, 2006.

“Well, it’s one for me, but every time we’ve come here, we’ve lost,” said Parker of the losing streak to Silver Stars.

The streaking Sparks, who have won their last four games, are now in third place in the Western Conference. San Antonio fell into fifth place, half a game behind Minnesota.

Hammon hit an 18-foot jumper with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 63. Leslie had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but her turnaround jumper at the buzzer was short.

The Sparks, who led for most of the first three quarters of the game, gave up their first lead on Young’s layup that made it 47-45.

Young scored 15 in the third quarter alone.