September 29, 2009
WNBA- Sparks out of the WNBA Finals after Losing against Mercury
By Ally White
The Los Angeles Sparks may have made an incredible comeback in game 2 of the Western Conference, but their expectations for another WNBA final were shattered this Saturday. The Sparks lost game 3 to the Phoenix Mercury 85-74. The loss ended both the season and hopes for the finals for the Sparks, who craved another title and an appropriate happy ending for Lisa Leslie’s incredible career. Leslie announced her retirement earlier this year; this game proved to be her last.
The game was, however, an extremely lopsided one. The Mercury set the tempo of the game from the beginning, attaining an early double-digit lead in just the first ten minutes. Los Angeles had a poor start with a season-low point average in the first quarter. The Phoenix began with a 14-4 run in the first six minutes of the quarter, and the Sparks couldn’t respond, finishing the first quarter down 19-7.
Mercury was determined to maintain control of the action in the second quarter, making a 13-3 run to extend their lead to 20 points. By the end of the quarter, however, four three throws by Betty Lennox and a shot by Candace Parker allowed the Sparks to cut the lead to 16 points at halftime, 41-25.
Phoenix kept its lead in the third quarter with high scoring. The Sparks were just unable to respond; last year’s MVP, Candace Parker, struggled with Lecoe Willingham and suffered from foul trouble. Then, veteran Tina Thompson came to the Sparks’ rescue, scoring 11 points in the quarter to drop the lead to 13 points, 61-48.
The fourth quarter was crucial for Lisa Leslie and Los Angeles; despite the team’s best efforts and improved shooting, the Sparks were unable to shake off their early disadvantage. Leslie, perhaps realizing that the quarter signaled the final moments of her career in professional basketball, tried to move her team to a comeback, closing the lead to 11. But Diana Taurasi of the Mercury wasn’t having it; she drained some of the final shots and kept her team’s lead.
Although the Sparks did manage to close the lead to make the loss more respectable, the team ended 11 points behind, 85-74. The defeat gave the Mercury the Western Conference title and a place in the WNBA finals.
At the end of the game, Leslie was as graceful as a queen – and a queen of basketball she is. She expressed no regrets over the loss – even congratulating the Mercury – or over the end of her basketball career; she said she was proud of her teammates and, despite lacking a title, grateful for all her years in the WNBA.
“I feel great, because I have no regrets. Every time I stepped out on the court, I played as hard as I could. I fought hard, I crashed the boards, I didn't back down from anybody, I shared the ball and I was a great team player. You do your best and try to be the best role model you can be,” said Leslie.
Candace Parker, on the other hand, the Sparks’ youngest superstar, stated she was unhappy with the season’s ending; she not only wanted to improve her dismal 6 points in the game, but had also hoped that Leslie would win a third WNBA title with her retirement. She went on to say that playing with Leslie was an incredible experience, one that she would not forget.
“I was upset tonight, because I felt like I let Lisa down. It's hard, because she's been a mentor to me. Our paths aren't done crossing; we're going to be friends for life. She's taken me under her wing, and I am going to miss her like crazy. I fortunately had the pleasure of playing with a legend. And at the end, I felt like she was consoling me more than I was her, because she's at a place now where she's happy with her decision."
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer on WNBA games and sports action for the online sports betting: http://www.instantactionsports.com. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.