LOS ANGELES, July 5, 2007 (AP) -- Sheri Sam hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 39 seconds left and the Indiana Fever won for the first time in Los Angeles, beating the Sparks 57-56 Thursday night.

Sam scored Indiana's first basket of the fourth quarter and the last to give the Fever a season sweep of the Sparks, who lost their fourth in a row for the first time since July 30-Aug. 6, 2003.

Tamika Catchings had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Tammy Sutton-Brown added 14 points for the Fever, who tied idle Detroit for the Eastern Conference lead.

Sidney Spencer scored 18 points and Sherill Baker added 15 for the Sparks, who've dropped eight of their last 10.

Both teams shot less than 35 percent in the game and went scoreless for 2 1/2 minutes early in the fourth quarter. The teams combined to score just 20 points in the period.

The Sparks got a 3-pointer by Kiesha Brown and a layup by Spencer to go up 56-52 with 2:42 remaining. Catchings scored on a driving layup to get Indiana within two points.

Christi Thomas missed a 15-footer with 55 seconds left before Sam's 3-pointer.

The Sparks controlled the ball over the final 39 seconds, but couldn't convert. Mwadi Mabika and Brown missed. Catchings knocked the ball away from Thomas in the final seconds to preserve the victory.

Spencer scored 10 points in the third and Baker had seven in a row to rally the Sparks from a seven-point deficit to a one-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Tied after the first quarter, the Fever outscored the Sparks 13-10 in the second to lead 27-23 at halftime.

The Sparks were without forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who sat out because of a sore right hamstring, and guard Temeka Johnson, who also missed Tuesday's game against Seattle while tending to a family matter.