Los Angeles Sparks at New York Liberty (-3, 141)
The Sparks have no problem playing defense. But they aren’t good at stopping quality teams or finding a way to keep teams off the scoreboard on the road.
Los Angeles (3-6) welcomed back star Candace Parker last week, but she scored a meager six points in a 104-89 loss to Phoenix. It was the team’s first home loss, not a good sign for a squad that is 0-5 away from the Staples Center and about to embark on a six-game road trip.
The Sparks were ranked third in the league in team defense, allowing 69.88 points a game, but were hammered by the Mercury. Phoenix shot nearly 50 percent from the floor in the second half.
And just before Los Angeles gets ready to face the Liberty, it’s never a good idea to hear a coach sound like he’s rolled up the white flag already.
"I think we need to go 3-3,” Spark coach Michael Cooper told the Los Angeles Times of the upcoming road trip. "It's just about sustaining your defensive effort for 40 minutes.
New York (3-6), meantime, is coming off an 80-64 win over Detroit, one of its most convincing performances of the season.
Pick: Liberty
Sacramento Monarchs at Seattle Storm (-9, 139.5)
Don’t look now, but the Monarchs are…streaking? It’s tough to say that about a 3-8 team, but Sacramento has rattled off two straight wins and appears to be getting several key players back from injury at the same time.
"This team is not willing to make excuses," forward DeMya Walker told the Sacramento Bee. "We know what our record is. … But we're responding to it well, and we're not quitting. Everybody comes ready to work every day, and that's what it's going to take to turn it around. You don't see any droopy faces."
But it will take more than hard work to top the powerhouse Storm (7-4). The team showed its depth last week when Swin Cash led her team to a 66-53 win over the Silver Stars. Cash was money with 18 points and 12 rebounds as star Lauren Jackson struggled to establish herself. Point guard Sue Bird was also big, chipping in 17 points.
The Monarchs might be rapidly improving, but they can’t stop the Storm from bringing the rain.
Pick: Storm
