Up next for Sparks: Friday vs. Minnesota

VS. MINNESOTA

When: 7:30.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: Prime Ticket.

Records: Sparks 16-16, Lynx 14-18.

Record vs. Lynx: 2-1.

Update: The Sparks have already clinched a playoff berth, but a win tonight would further cement their position for the No. 3 seeding in the Western Conference. That’s why center Lisa Leslie, who is playing in her last regular-season game before retiring from the WNBA after a 13-year career, said she hopes she will not be distracted by the festivities surrounding her farewell game. “I have to play,” Leslie said. “It’s not like I’m going to be able to sit back in a rocking chair and appreciate whatever everybody has planned.”

-- Mark Medina