Sky-Sparks Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Sep 12 2012 2:59PM

The Chicago Sky boosted their playoff hopes, and perhaps gained some confidence, by defeating the WNBA's leading team this week at home. They'll have to take the next steps toward their first postseason berth on the road.

The Sky begin a three-game western trek Thursday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, winners of six in a row at Staples Center.

Even with All-Star center Sylvia Fowles out of the lineup, Chicago (12-17) managed to snap Minnesota's 11-game win streak with an 83-70 victory Tuesday.

Epiphanny Prince led the way with 26 points and Courtney Vandersloot scored 17. Fowles' replacement, Carolyn Swords, contributed 11 points and a career-high nine rebounds.

The Sky might need Swords to step up again as Fowles could miss a third straight game due to a strained calf.

"The biggest thing for (Swords) is that she practices against Sylvia everyday, so we don't have to worry so much about getting her ready for an opponent,'' coach Pokey Chatman said.

Chicago is 3-1 since dropping 15 of 17, and one of its recent wins was an 85-74 victory against Los Angeles on Sept. 2. Prince led six Sky players in double figures with 17 points and had a career-high nine assists.

Vandersloot chipped in 15 points and is averaging 14.8 over the last four games, well above her season mark of 8.4.

"She's just playing real poised, being more aggressive," Prince said. "I always knew she could score the ball and now that Syl's down and we need more points, she's attacking better, looking for her shot. But she's still running the offense and getting us in positions where we need to be."

The Sparks could use a little more help from star forward Candace Parker, whose numbers have dipped since the Olympic break. Parker has averaged 12.3 points in her past nine games after scoring 19.0 per contest before the month-long hiatus.

Parker, though, has totaled 32 points over the last two games and grabbed 15 rebounds in Sunday's 73-71 loss to New York, the team that's battling Chicago for the final Eastern Conference postseason berth.

"Hopefully we can learn, grow, and get better for the playoffs," guard Kristi Toliver said.

Los Angeles (20-10) has already clinched its spot in the postseason thanks in part to Toliver's improved scoring. She's averaging a career-high and team-best 18.1 points while keeping the Sparks just ahead of San Antonio for the No. 2 seed in the West.

The Sparks, though, didn't help themselves by going 1-4 on their longest road trip of the year, and will try to get back on track during a four-game homestand to end the regular season. They'll be looking to win seven straight at home in one season for the first time since June 7-25, 2006.

Los Angeles has won four in a row at home over Chicago.

Nneka Ogwumike leads Sparks past Sky, 86-77

Posted Sep 14 2012 2:09AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Rookie Nneka Ogwumike scored a career-high 30 points and had 11 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky 87-77 on Thursday night.

DeLisha Milton-Jones added 19 points for Los Angeles. Coming off a 1-4 trip, the Sparks improved to 13-1 at home and 21-10 overall. They moved two games ahead of San Antonio for second place in the Western Conference with four games remaining. The top two teams get home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Ogwumike scored 16 points in the second half and helped turn away a late Chicago rally.

``She was super,'' Sparks coach Carol Ross said. ``She kept battling in the paint. She created a lot of plays just by being aggressive. She was clearly the sparkiest of Sparks tonight.''

Swin Cash scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half for Chicago, and Epiphanny Prince had 19. The Sky (12-18) fell a game behind New York for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Sky center Sylvia Fowles, an Olympian and the WNBA's second-leading rebounder, missed her third straight game because of a strained calf.

Ogwumike gave Los Angeles a 12-point lead when she put back a missed shot with 3:20 remaining, but Chicago put together a 10-2 run to trim the Sparks' lead to 81-77 on Cash's 3-pointer with 51.2 seconds to go.

The teams exchanged turnovers and Chicago committed two fouls. Kristi Toliver made a free throw, and Ogwumike took an inbound pass from Milton-Jones for an uncontested layup with 28.9 seconds left as Los Angeles held on for its seventh straight win at home.

The Sparks managed to win despite a rough night for leading scorer Toliver, who was 0 for 5 from the field and finished with six points.

``We just came off a 1-4 road trip,'' Ogwumike said. ``We knew this game was essential, and also learning from the win was really important, too.

``I think pushing the ball was working well for us, and playing outside of ourselves, because a lot of times we're kind of stagnant and we don't play past the first option. I think by moving the ball . that really added to our success tonight.''

Cash had a 14-point third quarter as Chicago closed to 61-57. Prince scored six in the third, including a long jumper and a pair of free throws.

Chicago was coming off a win against first-place Minnesota.

``We're in the playoff race and this one hurts,'' Cash said.

Ogwumike scored 14 and Milton-Jones added 11 to lead the Sparks a 44-35 halftime lead.

Chicago coach Pokey Chatman acknowledged that her team has to play a different way without Fowles inside to defend against players like Ogwumike.

``She's a tremendous player,'' Chatman said of Ogwumike. ``She has those volleyball hops. She runs the floor. She gets 10 from the (free-throw) line. She gets six on the putbacks. She gets four because she gets up over somebody. She's not a rookie anymore.''

The Sky shot 35 percent in the first half, including 0 for 8 from 3-point range, and Cash was held to one basket, a layup before the buzzer.

Ogwumike and Milton-Jones combined for 17 of the Sparks' 27 first-quarter points. Ogwumike began her night with a three-point play and scored an uncontested layup for a 22-10 lead.

• Sky: --
• Sparks: --

• Sky: --
• Sparks: Lavender

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #7 Clarke Stevens, #39 Michael Price, #62 Jeff Wooten
• Attendance: 8489
• Duration: 2:04