L.A.'s Comeback Stuns Sacramento
Sparks Ignite Fire In 4th, Burn Monarchs
The L.A. Sparks take two overtimes to get it done, but they beat Sacramento 96-88 after trailing 63-42.
Move over 2004 BoSox. 1992 Buffalo Bills, step aside. The kings of comebacks may recline for a moment to recognize the queens, not monarchs, of playing until the game's truly over.
Trailing by 21 points late in the third quarter of a game that carried glimmers of their frustrating 2006 playoff debacle, the Los Angeles Sparks handed the Sacramento Monarchs a 96-88 shellacking Friday at L.A.'s Staples Center. With Sac-town ahead 66-47 going into the fourth period, the Sparks (6-5) outscored their purple rivals to the north 28-9 in the ensuing ten minutes. That sent the game into a set of two overtimes, where L.A. eventually stole the Monarchs' (8-4) game crowns.
Crafty backcourt steals in that fourth quarter by rookie-of-the-year prospect Marta Fernandez were quickly converted into points. Newcomer guard Sherill Baker swooshed key baskets late in the contest, and tied things up at 75-all with 3.9 seconds to play in regulation, courtesy of a free throw. The two of them, along with guard Mwadi Mabika all scored 14 points apiece.
Forward/center Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 21 in this game full of football scores, numbers, collisions, skirmishes and hard calls.
"We had to just go in there and get it done," McWilliams-Franklin says. "I said 'just plug away, plug away, don't put your head down...keep going.' We had some good breaks, and I think we put them back on their heels; they're not used to that."
McWilliams-Franklin's 36-year old body was at work for 44:11 worth of this 50-minute affair. She grabbed the most Spark rebounds, 10. Playing the Monarchs in such a tight contest conjured up memories of the 2005 WNBA Finals, which she lost to them as a member of the Connecticut Sun.
"It felt like the Finals," she adds. "Back and forth, the competitiveness, the yelling at each other...it just didn't feel like it was game number 11. But we've got 23 more games!"
The Sparks caught a scare at the end of the third quarter when center Christi Thomas rolled her ankle for the second time in the contest. She curled up in pain on the court and cried before being helped off by Sparks trainers.
"It just happened twice in one game, so it's kind of painful right now," Thomas says about her injury. "All in all I'll be alright."
Thomas is expected to play Sunday against Seattle. Surprising to her, the Sparks' late comeback Friday seemed to begin when she left the game after contributing 10 points and grabbing 5 boards.
"They looked like they were playing together more," Thomas adds. "Whatever it takes to win, you know...if I have to take one for the team in order to do it, that's what I've got to do!"
"I'm not a quitter, and I wasn't going to let them quit," claims Sparks coach Michael Cooper. "We stuck to what we were doing and just kept playing and playing and were able to get a game win."
Sacramento's own efforts were good enough for a win on most other nights. Guard Kara Lawson came off the bench to score 20, starting forward Nicole Powell drilled 18, and guard Chelsea Newton sank 13. Powell collected a game-high 12 rebounds.
From L.A., the Monarchs head back home to play a rematch of the 2006 WNBA Finals with the Detroit Shock on Sunday. They then host New York Tuesday, and come back to L.A. on Wednesday.
Los Angeles will host Seattle Sunday, then will prepare to face the Monarchs again.
Whether or not they will again have to emulate the '04 Red Sox remains to be seen.
