Leslie scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half and the Sparks took control in the fourth quarter en route to an 81-67 victory over the struggling San Antonio Silver Stars.
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Silver Stars-Sparks: Play |
Chamique Holdsclaw and Mwadi Mabika added 16 points apiece for Los Angeles (22-6), which moved five games ahead of second-place Sacramento in the Western Conference.
Leslie also was a major reason the Sparks improved to 3-1 on a season-high eight-game road trip. The 10-year veteran made 7-of-12 shots and grabbed 14 rebounds in notching her sixth double-double in the last seven games.
After each team traded 10-0 runs in the third quarter that ended with the Sparks holding a 56-54 lead, the West's best team pulled away in the final period.
A layup by Leslie with 5:20 remaining capped a 12-4 surge to start the period and gave the Sparks a 68-58 cushion. They never let the lead dip below seven points thereafter in beating the Silver Stars for the third time in four meetings this season.
Vickie Johnson scored 16 points and Sophia Young contributed 12 for San Antonio (11-14), which has lost three straight games and six of its last seven to fall 2 1/2 games behind Seattle for the West's final playoff spot.
Next Games: The Sparks play in Seattle on Sunday, while the Silver Stars host Phoenix on Friday.
