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Fever-Sparks Preview

Aug 9, 2009 - 4:14 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Indiana (17-4) at Los Angeles (7-11), 10:30 p.m. EDT

For only the second time, former University of Tennessee stars Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker are set to meet at the WNBA level.

Catchings will try to help the league-leading Indiana Fever to a sixth straight win Monday night when they visit Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks.

The former college stars each led Tennessee to national championships, but both are looking for their first WNBA crowns.

Parker and Los Angeles (7-11) were preseason favorites after she won league MVP honors as a rookie in 2008. The Sparks, though, have struggled with Parker missing eight games due to pregnancy and three-time league MVP Lisa Leslie only playing seven in an injury-plagued final season for her.

Indiana (17-4), meanwhile, has assumed the mantle as league favorites even with Catchings having a bit of a subpar year statistically. She is averaging 14.2 points - the second-worst mark of her eight-year career - while shooting a career-low 35.7 percent.

Los Angeles won 77-63 last year at Staples Center in the only head-to-head meeting between Parker and Catchings. Parker had 10 points and 10 rebounds while Catchings scored 17 as the Sparks improved to 7-1 at home against the Fever.

Indiana could earn a rare win at Los Angeles after opening this three-game road trip with a 90-83 win at Western Conference-leading Phoenix on Saturday. The Fever began the game on a 17-2 run and never looked back.

"It was a great battle," Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "The thing that really helped us was that we got off to such a great start."

Katie Douglas hit a career-high six 3-pointers and finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Catchings added 15 points, seven boards and five assists.

"We're not a team frequently that gets off to great starts but we knew the importance of this road trip and this game," Douglas said.

The Fever used a fast start to win 73-61 over Los Angeles on June 12 in a game Parker missed. Indiana built a 19-point lead early in the second quarter and led by as many as 21.

The Sparks are trying to catch San Antonio for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West as they play the middle game of a five-game homestand. They have alternated wins and losses in their last five games after a 79-75 overtime win over Seattle on Thursday.

Parker had season highs of 18 points and 13 rebounds for her third straight double-double and fifth this year.