Sparks Top Seattle Storm 71-66 in Preseason Opener on Wednesday
May 25, 2011 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release
Carson, Calif. - Taking the court for the first time in 2011, the Los Angeles Sparks defeated the Seattle Storm 71-66 in a preseason game Wednesday at the Torodome in Carson, Calif.
Forward Candace Parker scored a game-high 17 points in her first action for the Sparks since an injury-shortened 2010 campaign. Forward Le'coe Willingham paced a trio of Storm players in double-figures with 14 points.
"I thought the energy was great. Not only did my starters come out with a lot of energy, but the bench came out with great energy as well and this is something I've been trying to instill in this team because it's going to win games," Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom stated. "We have a lot of depth this year, and if we can have that intensity coming off the bench, that's going to be great for us."
Los Angeles raced out to a 41-25 halftime lead behind 13 points from Parker before Seattle slowly chipped away at the deficit in the third quarter, closing within 45-40 at the 4:42 mark. The visitors then took their first lead since the opening minutes on a rare four-point play by Belinda Snell with 6:52 remaining in the fourth to make the scoreboard read 57-56.
The two teams played back-and-forth basketball until Los Angeles broke things open with an 8-2 run over the final 3:13 which began with two Noelle Quinn free-throws and consecutive layups by rookie center Jantel Lavender.
The Sparks play their second and final preseason game this Saturday, May 28, facing the Phoenix Mercury at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT, and tickets are available here.
That sets the table for the Sparks' 15th WNBA season, tipping off Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m. when the Minnesota Lynx - featuring No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Maya Moore - visit STAPLES Center. Fans can purchase single game tickets starting at just $10 online at LASparks.com, by phone at 877-44-SPARKS (772757), at the STAPLES Center box office and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Season tickets, as well as flexible mini-plan options, are also available.
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