SPARKS FLY BY MONARCHS; VICTORY SETS UP WESTERN TITLE SHOWDOWN WITH PHOENIX : SPARKS 88 SACRAMENTO 77.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

The Sacramento Monarchs had no defense for this wave of momentum. The Sparks took care business with little suspense.

L.A. won 88-77 in front of 10,975 at the Forum on Friday and set up a Western Conference title showdown at Phoenix on Sunday. A Sparks win would mean playoffs; a loss ends their season.

While the club tried not to look forward, it was nearly impossible. The Sparks (14-13) eclipsed .500 for the first time this season. After a coaching change and an underachieving 4-7 start, L.A. has nearly fulfilled its potential as one of the WNBA's top teams.

Now, after winning four straight to ensure the Phoenix game had title implications, the Sparks can finally look ahead to Sunday.

``It's do or die for us,'' said Penny Toler, who scored 19 points. ``We could not let down (Friday). We know what's ahead. We had to stay focused.''

Interim coach Julie Rousseau's initial concerns about a letdown were unwarranted. The Sparks jumped out to an 18-4 lead, the third time in three games they took an early advantage of at least 10 points. They shot a season-high 58.3 percent and converted 13 of their first 15 shots.

Haixia Zheng's 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting took pressure off Lisa Leslie, and Linda Burgess came off the bench to add 14. Leslie scored 12 in 31 minutes as the Sparks spent the second half staving off Sacramento (9-18) runs. Phoenix (15-12) held up its end with a 78-63 win over Charlotte.

There's been bad blood between the Sparks and Mercury all season and it came to boil on Monday when Phoenix coach Cheryl Miller got into a verbal exchange with Sparks assistant Orlando Woolridge. L.A. is 2-1 against the Mercury and won their only meeting in Phoenix on July 25.

``I think they play with more emotion,'' Toler said about Phoenix. ``And I believe that it is impossible to play 40 minutes on emotion. I think we are a better road team.''

That win in Phoenix started a stretch of nine wins in 12 games for L.A. and it finished its home schedule with an 8-6 record and three straight wins.

The crowd rewarded the club with a raucous ovation after the game. If that wasn't enough, someone obviously took this WNBA groupie thing to heart. Before the game, a fan named Edgar Ellis had 500 roses in five baskets delivered to the team's locker room with a small card included. The 500 roses signified the Sparks' .500 record (13-13) before the game and the card encouraged the team to win and make it .519. The card didn't say whether he would send 19 roses afterward.

With a dozen roses being about 40 bucks a pop, Ellis spent an estimated $1,700 on his token of appreciation.

``I've never seen 500 roses in my life,'' Rousseau said. ``That really shows how much the fans love us, especially one in particular.''

It's been a rosy time for Rousseau, who has led the Sparks to a 10-6 record since taking over July 16. She admits she's still using Linda Sharp's system, but is trying to throw in her own nuances.

``I keep saying to the staff what we could have done if we had another training camp,'' Rousseau said. ``I still think this team has big room for improvement. We're playing well, but we need to play better on Sunday. A hostile environment awaits.''

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Photo, Box

Photo: (Color) Jamila Wideman of the Sparks fights with Sacramento's Latasha Byears for a loose ball during the first half of Friday's game.

Associated Press 

Box: WNBA STANDINGS