Stars-Sparks preview
The Los Angeles Sparks will try to generate momentum heading into the playoffs when they close out the regular season against the San Antonio Stars on Friday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles (25-8) is second in the WNBA's Western Conference and will be the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, but the Sparks have struggled at times in recent weeks. They have lost three of their last four games and five of nine since returning from the month-long Olympics break after going 21-3 before the break.
San Antonio (7-25) is last in the Western Conference. The Stars have the worst record in the WNBA. They have lost six of their last seven games and 12 of 14.
Los Angeles is coming off a 90-85 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. That win snapped a three-game losing streak. Nneka Ogwumike finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds and Chelsea Gray came off the bench to score a career-high 23 points. Jantel Lavender added 17 points for the Sparks, who shot 47.9 percent from the field.
The Sparks elected to rest Ogwumike and fellow starter Kristi Toliver in their previous game, a 78-60 loss to the Seattle Storm. Toliver was held to five points on 2-of-11 shooting in her return to the lineup against the Mercury.
San Antonio is coming off a 71-67 victory over the Atlanta Dream, a rare win that ended a six-game losing streak. Astou Ndour had a career-high 20 points after scoring 10 of San Antonio's last 14 points, including a big 3-pointer with 35 seconds remaining. Moriah Jefferson added 19 points for the Stars.
Ogwumike is third in the WNBA in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.8 points and nine rebounds per game. Toliver is third in 3-point shooting at 42.7 percent.
Kayla McBride was leading San Antonio in scoring at 17.1 points per game before she was lost for the season with a fracture in her right foot in early July. The Stars are 3-12 since McBride went down. Jefferson is averaging 13.7 points per game and Monique Currie chips in 10.3.
