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The Los Angeles Sparks improve to 3-1 on national television.
The 2008 edition of Spark/Mystic basketball in the nation's capital came with fluctuating energy levels, mirroring the bizarre weather outside. Yet in the end the '08 Finals favorites came away with another "W." The Los Angeles Sparks played their fourth straight road game of the five (sometimes more) they customarily open seasons with. They beat the Washington Mystics 70-59 before 11,517 who used the Verizon Center as refuge from the blustery, wet thunder and lightning outside, which later gave way to sunshine. Spark center Lisa Leslie led all scorers with 17 points. She also collected five rebounds and blocked three Mystic shots. "We gave them a little bit of a different matchup," claims Leslie. "I thought we did a really good job of executing, and stopping their offense." A big reason for the stoppage of Washington's scoring - rookie sensation Candace Parker grabbed 11 rebounds, while shooting 15 points of her own. "We got up on them pretty good," says Parker. "We let them come back in the game, and we can't do that." The Sparks led by as many as 16 points in the second half, thanks to holding the Mystics to only 22 total points in the first 20 minutes. Washington scored 26 in the third period alone, and eventually took a one point lead. Yet after a key timeout, the defense of the royal purple and pure gold came to life, holding Washington to only 11 points in the final quarter. "We kept missing some of our offensive assignments," admits Leslie. "We got out-hustled on a few plays...but we had never anticipated a loss." The win improves the Sparks to 3-1, and ensures they will fly to L.A. in the coming days with a winning record for their home opener, regardless of the outcome in their Tuesday affair with Chicago. Washington remains confident, despite slipping to 2-3 with the loss. "We kept playing," says Mystics head coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins. "In the third quarter we got them on the run. We're young...and we're going to get better." The Mystics' forwards did the lion's share of scoring. Monique Currie put in 15 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, 14. Center Nakia Sanford earned a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds. Despite losing on ABC's airwaves before a national audience, the Mystics will return to the spotlight Tuesday, when they travel to Phoenix to take on the defending world champion Mercury - a team they swept last year. L.A. meanwhile continues to look forward to their own widely-lauded chances of a title. They face the Chicago Sky Tuesday, then take their first trip home of the year to play the Mercury Friday. Some are already taking their male counterparts' recent success as a sign of good things to come. "Lakers in six!" hails Leslie. "Lakers in six, and that's all I have to say," says Sparks head coach and former Laker Michael Cooper with a smile. "Good luck to Boston!"
The copyright of the article Leslie, Parker, Sparks Win Again in Basketball is owned by Mark Fontes. Permission to republish Leslie, Parker, Sparks Win Again in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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