Sparks try to extend winning streak against Sun

The Los Angeles Sparks look for their sixth straight win when they invade Mohegan Sun Arena for Tuesday night's game against the Connecticut Sun.

The Sparks, the defending WNBA champions led by Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker, are coming off an 84-73 win at Indiana, where they spoiled the Tamika Catchings number retirement ceremony -- and now visit a team that is also hot.

LA comes in 9-3 and two games out of first place behind the Minnesota Lynx (11-1). The Sun (6-6) had their five-game winning streak snapped Sunday at Dallas.

Ogwunike, who is averaging 20.3 points per game, scored 21 and Parker had 18 points, a season-high 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocked shot for the Sparks at Indiana.

LA used a 19-0 third-quarter run out of the break to take control of that game with a 25-point lead.

Ogwunike starts the week as the fourth-leading scorer in the WNBA. Connecticut's Jonquel Jones still leads the league in rebounding with 11.7 boards per game.

Point guard Chelsea Gray also has been a key contributor for the Sparks this season and a candidate for most improved player. She is averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 assists in nearly 32 minutes per game.

"She is starting to become one of our playmakers down the stretch," Sparks coach Brian Agler said. "She has the ability to make good basketball plays with the ball in her hands. She was starting to do this a year ago during the regular season at the end, and it carried over to the postseason."

The Sun ran into a hot Dallas team on the road Sunday, trailing by as many as 17 points late as their winning streak ended with a 96-82 loss.

Alyssa Thomas finished with 19 points and Jones picked up her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Thomas was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday.

"We're playing really well together right now," Thomas told Sun.com. "We're having fun and happy for each other. You can see it on the court, and we're looking a lot better."

Thomas is having an All-Star-type season, averaging career highs in points (13.6), assists (4.6), minutes (30.6), field goal percentage (50) and steals (1.36). She and Parker are the only two forwards in the league in the top 10 in assists.

"I don't want to be a one-dimensional player," she said. "I like to try to do more for the team on both ends. That's assists, rebounds, steals -- whatever it is.

"We have so many offensive weapons out there now; I just try to create and (my teammates) do the rest. I can't take too much credit; they are the ones hitting the shots."

While the Tuesday game starts a busy week for the Sun -- home Thursday and away Saturday -- the Sparks are playing their second game of a three-game road trip.

The teams meet two more times this season -- both in Los Angeles -- on July 13 and Sept. 3.