Leslie collected 30 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and a season-high four blocks to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to their fourth straight win, a 95-85 triumph over the Phoenix Mercury, who wasted a 34-point outburst by Diana Taurasi.
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Sparks-Mercury: Play |
A perennial All-Star, Leslie made 12-of-21 shots and 6-of-10 free throws to lead Los Angeles, which has won six of its last seven games.
The Sparks put together a 10-0 surge capped when Leslie found reserve Chamique Holdsclaw for an easy basket with 8:28 left for a 74-67 advantage. Holdsclaw had 22 points and seven rebounds.
Phoenix cut the deficit to 84-81 on Taurasi's 16-foot jumper with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, but Los Angeles closed the door with an 11-4 run to seal the victory.
Temeka Johnson and rookie Lisa Willis scored 13 points apiece for the Sparks, who shot 55 percent (36-of-65) from the field, including 5-of-11 3-pointers.
Rookie All-Star Cappie Pondexter, Kamila Vodichkova and Penny Taylor each scored 12 points for Phoenix, which shot 39 percent (26-of-66) and fell to 0-3 vs. Los Angeles this season.
Next Games: The Sparks play at the Lynx and the Mercury host the Liberty; both on Sunday.
