SPARKS WIN FOR WOOLRIDGE : SPARKS 71 PHOENIX 56.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Orlando Woolridge could be the spark that the Sparks need after all.

That, or more Beanie Babies.

Taking over as the interim head coach hours after the firing of Julie Rousseau, Woolridge watched Tamecka Dixon score eight points in the final 4:32 to secure a 71-56 win Friday night at the Forum against the Phoenix Mercury.

The announced crowd of 9,563 at the Forum was buoyed by a giveaway of 3,000 Beanie Babies.

Rousseau was fired after the Sparks lost 13 of 20 games this season.

Woolridge, who started his coaching career as an assistant at Harvard-Westlake in 1996, said before the game he was experiencing a ``calm excitement'' over his new position. The 38-year-old former Lakers forward is the first former NBA player to coach a WNBA team. He played 13 years in the league and becomes the fourth male WNBA coach.

``Basically, we're just going to go out and fine tune,'' Woolridge said. ``I see this as taking the last 10 games to try to redeem the season.''

Team president Johnny Buss said one factor in the firing was Rousseau's inability to communicate with her players.

``When you're a coach of a team, you're more than an X's and O's person,'' Buss said. ``You become a psychologist, everything possible to bring a team together. Some coaches are able to do that. We all know Julie is a strong motivator, but certainly there was some sort of misunderstanding with the players and they didn't follow the beat of her drum.''

Center Lisa Leslie called the firing ``surprising.''

``I have mixed emotions,'' said Leslie, the WNBA's leading rebounder and third-leading scorer who finished with 15 on Friday. ``I really loved Julie as a person and coach. I thought she did a really good job with us with the cards she was dealt.

``It's also exciting for Orlando to have the opportunity to be the coach. Hopefully from the excitement he brings to the games, maybe we can get some wins.''

Dixon had a basket and four free throws as the Sparks scored six consecutive points after the Mercury cut the deficit to 55-52 with 4:46 left.

Brandy Reed's two layups brought Phoenix back to 61-56 with 3:00 left, but the Sparks sealed the victory by scoring the final 10 points.Mwadi Mabika scored 15 points, 13 in the first half, and Pam McGee had 11 for the Sparks (8-13).

Jennifer Gillom had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix (12-9), which lost its fifth consecutive game to fall into a three-way tie with idle Cleveland and New York for the WNBA's two wild-card playoff berths, a half-game ahead of Detroit (12-10).

If either Cleveland or New York were to win five of its remaining nine games, the Sparks would have to win all 10 of its games to qualify for the playoffs.

Rousseau was named as a Sparks assistant coach in 1997 after coaching the girls' basketball team at Washington High to five Los Angeles City Section championships. Rousseau was named interim coach July 16, 1997 when Linda Sharp was fired after the team's 4-7 start.

Rousseau, 33, returned to Washington High after the WNBA season ended in late August, teaching physical education classes. She resigned her teaching position in December after being named as coach, joining the Sparks on a full-time basis.