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Aug 30, 2009 - 5:44 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Connecticut (14-14) at Los Angeles (14-14), 9:30 p.m. EDT

With Candace Parker out for personal reasons, the Los Angeles Sparks saw their longest winning streak in three years come to an end.

With their star player expected to return Sunday, the Sparks will try to get back on track against the slumping Connecticut Sun, as they try to move closer to securing a playoff berth.

The Sparks (14-14) lost 98-90 to Phoenix on Thursday, ending a six-game winning streak. Parker missed the game for personal reasons, while Kristi Harrower sat out the first of three games she's expected to miss while returning to Australia for her grandmother's funeral.

Sparks co-owner Kathy Goodman said Parker - who missed eight games earlier this season after giving birth - would play Sunday, but declined to disclose any more details about Parker's absence, other than to say she wasn't injured.

Parker is averaging 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds this season, and totaled 44 points and 16 boards in Los Angeles' last two victories.

"We missed her on the boards and how she contributes offensively," Sparks forward DeLisha Milton-Jones said.

Thursday's loss marked the most points allowed by the Sparks since a 98-87 defeat to Seattle on July 22. They had held their opponents to an average of 68.2 points during the winning streak.

Despite the loss, Los Angeles continues its push to reach the postseason after a 5-10 start. The Sparks are currently third in the Western Conference.

"We are still in the playoff hunt, still right there," coach Michael Cooper said. "We are 14-14. Once playoffs come around I don't care what anyone says, the championship is going to run through Los Angeles."

Cooper's team lost 82-71 at Connecticut on July 14, when a struggling Parker finished with three points.

The Sparks, though, won last year's home game against the Sun 98-93 in overtime, and is 7-3 all-time against Connecticut at Staples Center.

The Sun (14-15) dropped their third straight Saturday, losing 95-84 at Phoenix. Anete Jekabsone-Zogota scored 23 points and Lindsay Whalen added 20, but Connecticut shot just 35.0 percent from the field. One of the league's worst-shooting teams, the Sun have shot below 40 percent in each of the last two games.

The recent offensive problems can be blamed partially on the absence of leading scorer Asjha Jones, who has a strained left Achilles and has missed six games. It's unknown when she'll be back.

Saturday's loss dropped the Sun into a tie for third in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of fifth-place Detroit with five to play.

"Nobody is going to feel sorry for us," Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. "Everybody is in desperation mode in our conference right now except (first-place) Indiana. The biggest thing for us is to see if we can find a way to get another win here tomorrow (Sunday), going to L.A. (Los Angeles) and play as hard as we can and see what happens."