Sparks take game outside but still lose
A light fog crawled into Home Depot Center Saturday night, peeking down at a peculiar happening inside the tennis stadium.
The haze got only so far before overhead lights sliced through it unmercifully, shining upon a temporary basketball court where the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm played the second outdoor game in WNBA history.
Cold air swirled often, and jackets left seatbacks to warm chilled shoulders. Propane heaters silently burned behind the team benches, their orange coils glowing brighter as the night darkened, and as they warmed up so too did the Sparks.
But it was for naught. After falling behind by a heavy margin, the Sparks fought back but not entirely, and lost for the sixth time in seven games, 79-75.
After trailing 25-8 in the first quarter, the Sparks rallied to make it a three-point game in the final minutes, but Storm guard Sue Bird made a three-point jumper with 1:26 left to keep the margin at six. The game went to free throws after that, and time eventually ran out on the Sparks.
They had fallen behind early on a 19-2 run by the Storm, fueled by six free throws from forward Swin Cash. But behind Parker’s eight second-quarter points the Sparks trimmed that deficit to just eight points at halftime.
In the second half, the Storm opened with a 6-0 run, and by the end of the third quarter, the margin stood at 63-47 after Storm guard Svetlana Abrosimova’s three-point make with 2.5 seconds left.
And in the final quarter, the Sparks tried to complete a comeback, but could not.
The Storm (7-1) efficiently moved the ball behind their point guard, the former No. 1 overall pick Bird, who finished with 22 points and a game-high six assists.
Parker, who entered the game tied for the WNBA lead in points (22.5) and holding the league lead in rebounds (11.2), finished with 22 points.
Her husband -- and Boston Celtics forward -- Shelden Williams sat courtside with their 1-year-old daughter, Lailaa. Fans left him alone, mostly. As he bought snacks at the concession stand before the game, a vendor asked, referring to Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals: “You going to win tomorrow?”
“We got to,” Williams said, his team trailing the Lakers, 0-1 in the best-of-seven series. (Fellow Celtics guard Nate Robinson was also courtside.)
Parker said recently that she expects to attend Sunday’s game, and she told The Times last week that she’ll be rooting for Boston.
“Obviously, I’m going to be supporting my husband, but I’m glad and happy that the Lakers made the Finals,” she said. “I’m not going to wear green to the game, but my heart is with Boston.”
Saturday’s game was the league’s second outdoor game after the first was held in 2008 in New York.
WNBA President Donna Orender, who was present Saturday, encouraged more of these games.
“I think every market should do an outdoor game,” she said. “Basketball’s an outdoor game. There’s an outdoor culture to it.”
With the loss, the Sparks fall to 1-6 to start the season, the worst record in the WNBA. They host the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday and go to Seattle next Friday.
baxter.holmes@latimes.com
Times correspondent Mark Medina contributed to this report