sport world

LONG BEACH >> Game two of the WNBA semifinals between the Sparks and Mercury was a battle between two of the all-time greats in women’s basketball. The Sparks’ Candace Parker and the Mercury’s Diana Taurasi led their teams in scoring and seemed to be competing for the most highlight-worthy play for much of the game. In the end, Parker put on one of the best shows in WNBA playoff history to l...

LOS ANGELES >> Sparks coach Brian Agler has maintained all year that he coaches a defensive team. While the offensive fireworks of Candace Parker and Nneke Ogwumike — both among the WNBA’s top 10 scorers — might distract from that fact, it’s still defense that the Sparks rely on in big games. It was that effort that led them to a decisive win in a clash of the league’s two top teams Sunday e...

WNBA preview: LA Sparks visit San Antonio Stars on Friday night SPARKS (15-6) at SAN ANTONIO (3-19) Tipoff: 5 p.m. TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA League Pass Update: Coming off a defensive battle with the Seattle Storm, the Sparks will try to get their road record above .500 against the wor...

INDIANAPOLIS >> Tamika Catchings was known as a hard worker during her playing career. But as hard as she worked in 16 seasons for the Indiana Fever, she had a tough time keeping up with her dad on Saturday night. Former NBA player Harvey Catchings helped his daughter raise a baer with her N...

LOS ANGELES >> After becoming the WNBA’s career scoring leader Sunday afteoon, Diana Taurasi was reminded that it could have come even sooner. “Somebody told me that the other day: ‘You’re a year behind, actually,’ ” she said. The pride of Chino’s Don Lugo High, the University of Coecticut...

MINNEAPOLIS >> Maya Moore had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help the Miesota Lynx even the WNBA Finals at one game apiece with a 79-60 victory over the Sparks in Game 2 on Tuesday night. Sylvia Fowles had 13 points and 15 boards and Miesota held Los Angeles to 32.9 percent shooting to bounce back from a last-second loss in Game 1. Seimone Augustus scored 14 points and Miesota dominated on the glass, 46-32, to pull away. Nneka Ogwumike had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks, who head back home for the next two games in the best-of-five series. Candace Parker was quiet with six points on 3-for-12 shooting. The Lynx are trying to become the first back-to-back champions in the league...

ROSEMONT, Ill. >> Chicago Sky rookie Imani Boyette didn’t want to continue playing poorly in the WNBA semifinals. The 6-foot-7 center averaged three points and 4.5 rebounds in two double-digits losses to the Sparks. Boyette played better — much better, scoring all 13 of her points after halftime and grabbing 11 rebounds as the Sky held off the Sparks 70-66 on Sunday to force a Game 4. Game 4 is in Chicago on Tuesday night. “I hadn’t shown up in the series yet — the lights have been kind of bright,” Boyette said. “I’ve been guarding two of the best players, so I was very much a rookie this series. My teammates have done a really good job of encouraging me and staying on me.” Boyette sc...

LONG BEACH >> The second-seeded Sparks are hoping that the WNBA playoffs end with a championship team trophy. Wednesday night at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid, they began the postseason with some individual hardware. Nneka Ogwumike was awarded the WNBA’s MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony and then spent the next 40 minutes proving why she deserved it as she led the Sparks to a 95-75 win over the fourth-seeded Chicago Sky. “It was great,” she said. “It’s been nothing but love the last few days. It’s been awesome, and this was a great way to start off our run.” Ogwumike, who finished the regular season with the second-highest shooting percentage in WNBA history (66.5 percent) was sens...

LOS ANGELES >> The best basketball player in Los Angeles began Friday night’s game with a steal and a layup. She ended Friday night’s game with a simple rim-run, from baseline to baseline, so she could finish a fast break, when her team led by only one point. The Sparks beat San Antonio, 71-65, and ended the WNBA regular season with a 26-8 record. Coach Brian Agler was asked his choice for MVP of the league by people who already knew the answer was Nneka Ogwumike. “First, she’s having a historic offensive season, the most efficient season in the history of the league,” Agler said. “Then you take the things I see with her leadership every day. “Then she’ll probably be All-Defense on to...

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Candace Parker added 11 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky 77-67 on Wednesday. Ogwumike was 10 of 11 from the field for her fifth consecutive game with at least 20 points. She also had four blocks as the Sparks tied a season high with eight. Kristi Toliver had 13 points, Jantel Lavender added 12 points and Essence Carson scored 10 for Los Angeles (19-1), the top-ranked team in the AP power poll. The Sparks had 28 assists on 33 field goals. Los Angeles led 68-53 until Allie Quigley’s 3-pointer started a 13-4 Chicago run to pull to 72-66 with 2:17 left. But the Sky missed shots...

Ogwumike, Sparks too much for Sky 77-67 AP Photo ILNH111, ILNH110, ILNH109, ILNH108, ILNH107, ILNH106 ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Candace Parker added 11 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky 77-67 on Wednesday. Ogwumike was 10 of 11 from the field for her fifth consecutive game with at least 20 points. She also had four blocks as the Sparks tied a season high with eight. Kristi Toliver had 13 points, Jantel Lavender added 12 points and Essence Carson scored 10 for Los Angeles (19-1), the top-ranked team in the AP power poll. The Sparks had 28 assists on 33 field goals. Los Angeles led 68-53 until All...

LOS ANGELES >> Nneka Ogwumike had 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and Candace Parker scored on back-to-back possessions late to help the Sparks beat the Coecticut Sun 80-73 on Sunday at Staples Center. The win moves the Sparks (13-1) into first place in the Weste Conference, a half-game ahead of the Miesota Lynx (13-2), who lost to the Washington Mystics 87-63. The Sparks handed the Lynx their first loss of the season 94-76 on Friday night. Parker and Essence Carson scored 10 points apiece for the Sparks on Sunday. A 3-pointer by Alex Bentley pulled Coecticut (3-12) within five with 2:12 to play, but Parker answered with two baskets to ignite a 7-2 spurt that gave the Sparks an 80-70 ...

Nneka Ogwumike had 27 points and 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double, and the Los Angeles Sparks set a franchise record with their 10th straight season-opening win in a 98-85 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night. Ogwumike was 6 of 6 from the field in the first half to extend her WNBA record to 23 straight made field goals over the past three games. She missed her first shot of the second half, a 3-pointer from the wing, and finished 12 of 14. She entered as the league leader in field-goal shooting at 67.9 percent. Candace Parker had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles (10-0), which is ranked No. 2 in the AP power poll. The Sparks host Phoenix on Friday an...