LOS ANGELES, June 27 (AP) -- WNBA rookie Marta Fernandez scored a career-high 26 points, leading the Los Angeles Sparks to a 74-66 victory over the Sacramento Monarchs on Wednesday night.

Christi Thomas added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Sparks (7-6), who had lost four of five. Jessica Moore scored a season-high 10 points.

"Marta's been great for us,'' Sparks coach Michael Cooper said of Fernandez, the 2006 MVP in the Spanish league. "She's very deceptively quick. Her rhythm is not the type of rhythm that Americans are used to looking at.''

Cooper added that Fernandez, a native of Spain who is averaging 12.1 points, would have more points if she didn't have to play point guard temporarily after Chamique Holdsclaw's retirement.

"She is at her true position,'' Cooper said of the shooting guard. "Had Chamique been here for the whole season, her output would have been like this all year long. I think you're going to see more of an offensive explosion.''

Nicole Powell had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Monarchs (10-5), who lost for the second time in seven games. Rebekkah Brunson added 12 points.

The Monarchs held a 17-10 lead when Fernandez scored seven points in 35 seconds to kick off a 17-5 run that put the Sparks ahead 27-22 with 5:29 left in the second quarter.

Sacramento narrowed its deficit to 29-27 but Christi Thomas scored seven points during a 14-2 spurt that gave Los Angeles a 43-29 halftime lead.

The Monarchs used an 11-0 run to close within 67-62 with 2:16 to play. Fernandez then made a free throw after a steal with 34.5 seconds left, and Mwadi Mabika added two free throws with 30 seconds to go.

Sparks center Taj McWilliams-Franklin didn't play because of a sore right hamstring. Moore, Sherill Baker and Sidney Spencer made their first starts of the season for Los Angeles.