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Sparks-Storm Preview

Aug 21, 2010 - 6:57 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (13-20) at Seattle (27-6), 11:00 p.m. EDT

The league-leading Seattle Storm are one win away from becoming the second WNBA team to go 16-0 at home in the regular season. Their opponent, the Los Angeles Sparks, needs a victory to have any chance of avoiding a first-round matchup with the league's best team.

The Storm will try to complete their first five-game sweep of the Sparks on Saturday night and match the best win total in league history in the regular-season finale for both playoff-bound teams.

Seattle (27-6) long ago clinched the best record in the league, and will open the playoffs at home Wednesday against the No. 4 seed.

There are two ways Los Angeles (13-20) can finish third in the West, with the easier way being a victory Saturday and a loss by San Antonio to Phoenix on Sunday. A three-way tie with San Antonio and Minnesota at 13-21 would also give the Sparks the third seed.

The No. 3 seed will earn a matchup with the defending champion Mercury, who have struggled to a 15-18 mark after trading star guard Cappie Pondexter to New York in the offseason.

The Sparks will also be trying to defend the honor of the 2001 Los Angeles team that went 16-0 at home for the best mark in league history en route to the franchise's first championship. Los Angeles won 28 games in 2000 and 2001, and the Storm can match that mark.

Seattle has won seven straight at home against Los Angeles, winning the two games this year by an average of 18.0 points.

Storm superstar Lauren Jackson has averaged 19.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in the first four meetings this year. The three-time league MVP has seen her minutes drop down the stretch with the Storm already securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and has averaged only 14.0 points over the last five games.

Jackson played less than 15 minutes and scored a season-low six points in a 78-73 win at Phoenix on Friday as both teams rested their regulars. Point guard Sue Bird played under 16 minutes and had seven points and five assists.

Los Angeles clinched its playoff spot with a 98-91 victory over Minnesota on Friday. Tina Thompson had 26 points and nine rebounds and DeLisha Milton-Jones scored 24 points for the Sparks, who lost superstar Candace Parker for the year in June.

"Oh my God, sweet victory," coach Jennifer Gillom said. "We just fought through adversity all this season, through injuries, all of it, and we're here. That's what makes it so sweet."

The Sparks have won four of five on the road and seven of 11 overall.