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Mercury-Sparks Preview

Aug 26, 2009 - 7:17 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Phoenix (18-9) at Los Angeles (14-13), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Phoenix Mercury became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot earlier this week, but there's little doubt which club is currently the WNBA's most dangerous.

The Los Angeles Sparks, who host the Mercury on Thursday night, look to extend their longest winning streak in more than three years to seven while moving closer to locking up their own postseason berth.

Phoenix has won both meetings with Los Angeles this season by an average of 12.0 points, but the Sparks (14-13) haven't been at full strength for either game.

Reigning MVP Candace Parker sat out an 89-80 road loss on June 19, one of eight games she missed to start the season after giving birth in May. Lisa Leslie, the league's all-time scoring leader, was out with a sprained knee when the Sparks lost 104-89 to the Mercury (18-9) at Staples Center on July 5 as Parker had six points in 20 minutes during her season debut.

Los Angeles has had its key components on the floor ever since Leslie returned Aug. 4, and they've been the league's best team this month. The Sparks are 9-3 in August after winning their sixth straight Tuesday, a 75-63 victory over Chicago as Parker and Leslie each scored 21.

"We're hitting our stride right now," said Parker, who's averaged 20.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in her last three games. "We just have to continue to protect our home court and play hard."

It's the Sparks' longest winning streak since an eight-game run from June 7-25, 2006.

Los Angeles is in third place in the West, two games behind Seattle for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and four in back of conference-leading Phoenix.

The Mercury locked up a playoff berth Sunday, but not the way they would have preferred. Losses by Minnesota and San Antonio put Phoenix in, two days after coach Corey Gaines' club couldn't take care of business itself.

Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter made 9 of 28 shots from the floor and were held to 26 points - nearly 14 below their combined average - in a 91-81 loss to visiting Washington on Friday.

The Mercury, fifth in the league with 34.5 rebounds per game, were outrebounded 46-26.

"We really couldn't get on a roll," said Taurasi, who averages 5.7 boards and a league-best 20.8 points per game. "When you get outrebounded that bad it's hard to get going the other way and get good shots and make things happen for each other. They kicked our butts today."

The Sparks are the league's best rebounding team (37.0 per game), and held a 48-29 edge in the June loss to the Mercury. Phoenix had a 40-31 rebounding advantage last month in Los Angeles.

Pondexter has scored 21.0 points per game and Taurasi 19.0 this season against the Sparks.

Parker averaged 26.8 points and 11.5 rebounds versus Phoenix in 2008.