SPARKS WANT WNBA FINALE L.A. FOCUSED ON FINISHING SWEEP OF NEW YORK TODAY.Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer If the Sparks' victory in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), held in early September and played under a best-of-five playoff format. The team winning the Eastern Conference Finals earns one of the two seeds in the championship round, with the on Thursday was a sign of things to come, then today should be the finale of the WNBA WNBA Women's National Basketball Association WNBA World Ninepin Bowling Association WNBA Wannabe Nasty Boys Association WNBA Women's National Book Association, Inc. WNBA Warszawski Nurt Basketu Amatorskiego season. The Sparks can repeat as champions and finish undefeated in the playoffs if they beat the New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in New York City. They are one of the eight original WNBA teams that began to see action in 1997, as well one of the most successful teams in WNBA history. in Game 2 at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. . The Sparks remain a heavy favorite but are trying to leave nothing to chance. They had a 1 1/2-hour practice Friday after flying back from New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of in the morning, working mostly on defense and being mentally prepared for the Liberty. In Game 1, the Sparks contained the Liberty's stars, Tari Phillips Tari L. Phillips (born on March 6, 1969 in Orlando, Florida) is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with the Houston Comets in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). and Tamika Whitmore Tamika Whitmore (born on June 5, 1977 in Tupelo, Mississippi) is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). College years She played collegiate basketball while attending the University of Memphis on a scholarship. . Because of that, they believe the pair will have extra motivation today. ``Tamika Whitmore, she's going to be more focused than she's ever been, and Phillips will be madder than she's ever been,'' Sparks forward DeLisha Milton said. ``So we're going to really have our work cut out for us more this game than the last.'' Even though the Sparks practiced Friday, New York didn't. In fact, the Liberty wasn't scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles until about 7 p.m. As they did last season, the Sparks stayed in a hotel Friday night to try to keep focused. The tactic helped last season, when they pounded the Charlotte Sting 82-54 in Game 2 of the best-of-three Finals. The biggest question mark for this year's Game 2 is the status of the Sparks' Tamecka Dixon, who has a strained patella patella (pətĕl`ə): see kneecap. tendon in her right knee and a bruised lower back. She slipped off the steps of the team bus in the rain before Thursday's shootaround, when Madison Square Garden Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference security refused to let the team bus go into the underground parking lot. Dixon remains perturbed per·turb tr.v. per·turbed, per·turb·ing, per·turbs 1. To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious. 2. To throw into great confusion. 3. at the decision and said she would talk with her agent and lawyer to see if a lawsuit is applicable. Dixon, who didn't fully participate in Thursday's practice, is questionable for today but says she's ready. ``I'm going to play with soreness in my knee,'' she said. ``I think I'm playing. If the trainer pulls me out before the game, then the trainer pulls me out. But as I see it, I'm playing.'' It is a similar situation to last year's Finals, when Dixon was on crutches with a heel injury. With or without her, the Sparks will be a tough problem for the Liberty because of the inside matchups. On Thursday, Milton and Lisa Leslie helped the Sparks dominate in rebounding 37-25. In addition, Mwadi Mabika scored a game-high 20 points, and Nikki Teasley set a WNBA Finals record with 11 assists. New York also faced Latasha Byears for the first time this season in Game 1. In the teams' earlier meetings, she was out because of suspension and injury, respectively. Byears started in place of Dixon and gave the Sparks a big lineup, which New York had difficulties matching. She finished with a game-high 11 rebounds and played 34 minutes. Even if Dixon is healthy, Sparks coach Michael Cooper expects Byears to play plenty of minutes. ``You want to take care of business when you can take care of business and not have to use that other game,'' Cooper said. ``And that's the approach we're going to take.'' SERIES SCHEDULE Game 1, Thursday Sparks 71, New York 63 Game 2, Today at Sparks, 12:30 p.m. (Ch. 4) Game 3, Sunday At Sparks, 12:30 p.m. (Ch. 4)* * - if necessary CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Tamecka Dixon is questionable for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals today after slipping while getting off the team bus in New York. Lucy Nicholson/Associated Press Box: SERIES SCHEDULE (see text) |
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