Shock-Sparks Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted May 28 2012 2:31PM

After being limited the last three seasons by a pregnancy and injuries, Candace Parker is again playing at a high level and has helped the Los Angeles Sparks get off to a strong start.

That could continue when Parker and the Sparks face the winless Tulsa Shock on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Parker hasn't played a full season since winning MVP honors in her first year in 2008. She missed part of 2009 following her pregnancy, then totaled 27 games over the next two years due to knee and shoulder injuries.

The star forward has scored at least 21 points in three straight games and shot 55.2 percent in the last two, playing in all four of her team's games.

She scored eight of her 27 points in the final five minutes of a 99-88 win at Phoenix on Saturday, adding 11 rebounds and four blocks as the Sparks (3-1) bounced back from a loss at Minnesota two nights earlier.

A resurgent Parker is just one part of an improving Los Angeles roster. Guard Kristi Toliver is averaging a career-best 21.0 points after not having averaged more than 11.2 in any of her first three seasons. She had 18 points, five rebounds and four assists against the Mercury.

Rookie Nneka Ogwumike is providing a steady presence inside alongside Parker, posting a career-high 22 points and seven rebounds Saturday. She's averaging 13.8 points.

After playing three of its first four on the road, Los Angeles is home for its next three - two of which are against winless Seattle and Tulsa (0-3).

While the Shock have continued their losing ways in 2012, each of their three defeats have come by fewer than 10 points. Tulsa fell 89-87 to the Mercury on Tuesday and 64-61 at Washington on Saturday - their seventh straight loss overall.

The Shock nearly erased a 58-43 deficit against the Mystics with a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter, but were unable to get the lead and Ivory Latta committed a critical turnover in the final two minutes.

"It's very frustrating," Latta said after scoring 16 points. "It's like we're one shot away or one layup or one pass or one something away from getting that win."

Tulsa was outrebounded 40-27 and shot 30.5 percent. The Shock are the worst-shooting team in the WNBA at 37.7 percent and are being outrebounded by 7.7 per game - the highest margin in the league.

Los Angeles won four of five against Tulsa last year, though the one loss came at Staples Center on Aug. 27 - one of the Shock's three victories in 2011.

Sparks beat Shock 76-75

Posted May 30 2012 1:59AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kristi Toliver was suffering through one of the worst games of her career before coming up big for the Sparks in the end

Toliver sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Sparks a 76-75 victory against the Tulsa Shock on Tuesday night.

The Sparks appeared headed for defeat when Temeka Johnson made a pair of free throws to give Tulsa a 75-71 lead with 16.7 seconds remaining. Toliver made a turnaround jump shot before Tulsa's Karima Christmas missed two free throws to give the Sparks a chance.

Nneka Ogwumike rebounded the miss and got it to Toliver, who drove down the left side and put up a shot over Ivory Latta as the home crowd erupted in celebration. It was redemptive for Toliver after she committed a WNBA record 14 turnovers.

``It feels good,'' Toliver said. ``Throughout that game I was just letting my teammates down by being careless with the ball . I was making boneheaded plays.''

Toliver and DeLisha Milton-Jones each scored 16 points and Ogwumike added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Sparks, who won despite committing 28 turnovers. Candace Parker sat on the bench for a large stretch of the fourth quarter and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

``Good teams just find a way,'' Sparks coach Carol Ross said. ``I told (Toliver) in the locker room, `Nothing else can go wrong for you. You've used up all your wrong chips.' It was time for something good to happen. For her to be able to keep her head up and have the confidence to take the shot says a lot about her character.''

It was another last-second heartbreak loss for Tulsa, which remains winless at 0-4.

Johnson sank a 3-pointer to give Tulsa a 70-69 lead and made four free throws in the final 20.1 seconds, the last two for a 75-71 edge. Riquna Williams came off the bench to score 19 points but Tulsa lost its eighth straight game dating to last season.

``It hurts,'' Williams said. ``Teary. Painful. (It's) emotional but it's not going to stop us.''

Tulsa has trouble closing out games. It lost to Washington on Saturday despite going on a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter and to Phoenix last Tuesday in the final seconds.

``Last possession, rebounds,'' Williams said. ``We've got to box out. We're not big, but we just can't jump up there and get it. We've got to find a body.''

Williams scored eight of Tulsa's 19 points in the third quarter to help Tulsa come out of it with a 55-52 lead. She made the last of three consecutive baskets on a 3-pointer gave the Shock its first lead at 45-44.

Tulsa fell into an 11-0 hole to start the game and shot 30 percent from the field in the first half but clawed back to trail, 40-36, at halftime. Latta made a 3-pointer to cap a 10-2 run and the Shock held the Sparks to two field goals in the final five minutes of the first half.

Johnson had 13 points. Tulsa rookie Glory Johnson, the fourth pick in last year's draft, was matched up at times with No.1 pick Ogwumike and finished with seven points.

• Shock: --
• Sparks: --

• Shock: Kloppenburg
• Sparks: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #55 Eric Brewton, #31 Amy Bonner, #34 Maj Forsberg
• Attendance: 8312
• Duration: 2:15