They were picked by a slew of WNBA experts to win it all. They opened 2009 with a solid rout of longtime Eastern Conference rival Detroit. Yet the Los Angeles Sparks, 10 games into league legend Lisa Leslie's final WNBA campaign, have salvaged only four wins.
However, they may have hit a turning point Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
After falling behind early by 11 points, L.A. rallied to tie the game at halftime, and convincingly put the New York Liberty away in the second half, winning 69-60.
Guard betty Lennox led all scorers with 20 points, and Tina Thompson followed with 16.
"We anticipated them coming out quickly, but we didn't anticipate coming out so slowly" says Thompson. "I think we just weathered the storm in the first quarter and I think the second quarter was a lot better and we gained a little momentum."
Thompson's 8 rebounds and 35:30 on the court were bests for L.A. as well. Teammate Candace Parker admits she's not quite at her best yet, just days after returning from maternity leave, but she's pleased with how things are coming together.
"We're learning what it takes to be a team," says Parker, whose return coincided with a Lisa Leslie ankle injury. "One person can play great defense and have some other people not playing well. We're learning how to play great team defense. We're learning where everyone wants the ball."
Despite a rough outing recently against Phoenix, head coach Michael Cooper feels now things are falling into place.
"This was a great game to win especially after letting New York get off to an 11-0 start," says Coop. "This team wasn't built on just two or three or four players. I thought our bench came in...Betty (Lennox) came in off the bench and did a superb job."
Liberty Look Forward
New York dropped to 3-7 with the loss, and despite a one-step-forward, one-step-back sort of year, players remain confident about the future.
"It's way too early to sit there and throw in the towel," says forward Shameka Christon, the longest tenured current Liberty player. "I know what we're capable of. We've just got to get it together. We've got to get the ball rolling."
Center Janel McCarville topped New York's point contributions with 18, guard Essence carson chipped in 12, while Christon scored 10.
New York remains home for Atlanta on Saturday, when they will try to turn their own season around.
L.A. Roadtrip Continues
The Sparks head down the East Coast to Washington D.C. to play the 5-5 Mystics. They're tied for second in the Eastern Conference, yet are trying to snap a two game losing streak.
Delisha Milton-Jones is among a number of greats who have played for both teams, and says she's looking forward to a return to the nation's capital.
"I get excited about playing anyone!" Milton-Jones says with a smile.
