Up next for Sparks: Tuesday vs. New York

When: 7.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: ESPN2.

Records: Sparks 3-1, Liberty 2-3.

Record vs. Liberty (2010): 0-2.

Update: The Sparks are on a two-game winning streak. Last year, they didn’t win two games in a row until more than midway through the season and didn’t win three games until nearly one-third of the way through the season. Also improved from last season is their three-point shooting — up nearly 10 percentage points to 44%. The Sparks’ bench is contributing in a big way — in the team’s last game, the bench outscored Seattle’s reserves, 40-7, and the Sparks beat the defending champion, 74-50. Candace Parker played only 26 minutes that game and will be rested against Liberty stars Essence Carson and Cappie Pondexter, who each is averaging 15 points. After Tuesday’s game, the Sparks will play 11 of their next 13 games on the road during more than a monthlong stretch. Last season, the Sparks were 5-12 in games on the road.

— Melissa Rohlin