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Storm-Sparks Preview

Jul 2, 2010 - 8:09 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Seattle (14-2) at Los Angeles (4-11), 5:00 p.m. EDT

Sue Bird's status again is unclear, but her recent absence hasn't kept the Seattle Storm from one of the best starts in WNBA history.

They'll try to add to it with a season-high sixth straight win and first on the Los Angeles Sparks' home floor in three years Saturday.

Bird, the league leader with 5.7 assists per game, practiced Thursday for the first time since back spasms took her out of Sunday's 83-72 victory at Tulsa in the first quarter. The leading vote-getter for the upcoming All-Star game said her condition has improved after sitting out Tuesday's 86-72 home win over San Antonio.

"Every day, it's gotten better, and that's all I can ask for," she told the team's official website. "Unfortunately with this, the slightest thing can set you off. It really helps to not be too physical and not be hit, just do my rehab and go from there. I feel much better now than I did two days ago."

Despite the absence of their starting point guard, the Storm prevailed against the Silver Stars behind Lauren Jackson's 31 points and season-high 15 rebounds. Four others scored in double figures including Bird's replacement, Tanisha Wright, who had a career-high 12 assists to reach double digits in that category for a third straight game.

Wright also keyed Seattle committing a season-low eight turnovers following a season-high 25 against the Shock.

With the victory, the Storm (14-2) matched the 1999 Houston Comets and 2002 Sparks for the fourth-best start in WNBA history and improved to 10-0 against teams from the West.

They now look to win six in a row for the first time since Aug. 18-Sept. 1 and complete a four-game season sweep of the Sparks, who eliminated Seattle in the first round of the last two postseasons. Bird has averaged 17.0 points in the season series - 5.5 above her season average - and had 22 in the lone meeting in Southern California.

That matchup - Seattle won 79-75 - came at The Home Depot Center in the league's second outdoor game. The Storm have lost six straight at Staples Center, including two playoff games, since July 10, 2007.

Los Angeles hasn't faced the Storm this year without Candace Parker, who was lost for the season to a dislocated left shoulder June 13.

The Sparks (4-11) are 1-4 without their All-Star forward but earned that lone win Thursday at home, 73-63 over San Antonio. Tina Thompson scored 24 points and matched a season high with 10 rebounds after being held to averages of 7.3 points and 4.0 boards in the previous three games.

"It's pretty huge," Thompson said. "It's been a struggle for us to do consistently whatever we say we're going to do. Now, we know how to win without Candace. We feel that we can win without Candace."