While Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones were busy leading the United States to a gold medal during the WNBA's Olympic break, the rest of the Los Angeles Sparks focused on defense during practice.

The team's top scorers have returned, and seem to have bought into that approach as well.

The Sparks look for a season-high fifth straight victory Friday, and a season series win over the San Antonio Silver Stars, as the teams play a crucial game in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles (18-12) won its first game after the Olympic break, 78-63 over Sacramento on Aug. 28, then followed that up with a 58-53 win over the Silver Stars on Saturday.

Parker had 17 points and 15 rebounds and Leslie added a game-high 18 points and 12 boards in the latest victory - the kind of dominant efforts that are nothing new for two of the league's top-scoring players, who are also first and second, respectively, in rebounding.

What's been surprising about Los Angeles and its top players since play resumed is a newfound commitment to defense.

The Sparks were one of the league's worst defensive teams in late July, allowing 76.9 points per game. However, they've given up an average of 58.0 points in three games since the Olympic hiatus, hitting that number exactly Monday in an 82-58 blowout of Minnesota.

"We became more of a web on the defensive end,'' said Milton-Jones, who had a season-high 10 rebounds. "The coaches really emphasized defense in the practices (during the Olympic break) and the players who were here improved drastically.''

The Sparks blocked 12 shots - eight by Leslie - and have 30 blocks in their past three games.

"We've got the best three bigs as far as shot blocking in the league,'' coach Michael Cooper said of Leslie, Parker and Milton-Jones.

San Antonio (19-10) and Los Angeles are involved in a tight three-team race with Seattle for first place in the West. The Silver Stars hold a 1 1/2-game edge over the Sparks.

Los Angeles took a 2-1 lead in the season series Saturday. Parker averaged 25.5 points in the teams' two meetings prior to the month-long Olympic break, with each club winning at home.

San Antonio can clinch a postseason spot Friday when it plays its first home game since July 24. The Silver Stars haven't played at all since the loss at Staples Center on Saturday, and they'll end the regular season with five games in nine days.

Three San Antonio players - Sophia Young (17.8 points per game), Becky Hammon (17.2) and Ann Wauters (14.7) - score two-thirds of the team's points. In order for the Silver Stars to compete with the Sparks, though, Wauters thinks they need to match their physicality.

"It felt like a playoff game,'' Wauters said after the loss in Los Angeles. "L.A. is a really physical team and I think we need to respond to that.''