• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sparks-Mercury Preview

Sep 12, 2009 - 6:23 PM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Los Angeles (17-16) at Phoenix (23-10), 3:00 p.m. EDT

The Western Conference teams are locked into their postseason positions. Though their remaining regular-season games will have no bearing on the seedings, momentum is still at stake.

The top-seeded Phoenix Mercury and No. 3 seed Los Angeles Sparks look to head into the playoffs on a high note as they finish regular-season play Sunday in Phoenix.

The Mercury (23-10) have matched the highest win total in franchise history, a mark originally set in 2007 en route to the team's only WNBA title. They've secured the No. 1 seed in the West for the third time.

Though they've been inconsistent this season after going 20-14 in 2008, the Sparks (17-16) will finish in third place in the conference for the second consecutive year.

The seedings are decided, but it's unlikely either club will take its regular-season finale lightly. Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi said she thinks her team is getting close to being ready for the playoffs.

"There's always time to get better," the four-time All-Star said. "That's what were going to try to do."

Taurasi scored five of her 22 in overtime to lead the Mercury to a 92-84 victory over Seattle on Thursday night. Phoenix's fifth victory in six games clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, but that accomplishment didn't mean much to Taurasi.

"It's as big a deal as you make it," said Taurasi, who scored 18 after halftime. "We're not worried about who we're playing, where we're playing, what time we're playing, or what planet we're playing on. We're just concentrating on the people with our jerseys in this locker room."

Los Angeles routed Minnesota 90-61 in its last game Friday night. Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson scored 19 apiece in the Sparks' ninth win in 12 games.

That was Leslie's final regular-season home game. The three-time league MVP and two-time WNBA champ with Los Angeles, who announced in February that this season would be her last, was honored before the game.

Leslie had 23 points and went 9 for 15 from the field against Phoenix on Aug. 27. Los Angeles lost 98-90 to fall to 0-3 in the season series.

Candace Parker, last year's WNBA MVP and the Sparks' third-leading scorer and top rebounder in 2009, has played against the Mercury once this season, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds in her first game back from maternity leave July 5.

Cappie Pondexter led Phoenix with 26 points and six assists in the Aug. 27 meeting. She's averaged 22.7 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 52.0 percent from the field against Los Angeles in 2009.

The Mercury open their best-of-three, first-round series Thursday night in San Antonio. The Sparks host Seattle for their postseason opener Wednesday night.