Phoenix tops Sparks in second of back-to-back games

LOS ANGELES — The Sparks dropped the second of back-to-back matchups versus the Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Convention Center.

Within 48 hours of beating the Mercury, the two teams reversed roles with Phoenix the aggressor and the Sparks falling flat 80-66 on Friday night.

After a slow start where the Sparks (5-6) fell down by double-digits early in the first-quarter, Los Angeles rallied with a 14-4 run. Phoenix (6-7) responded with another run and never relinquished control.

Mercury star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith topped all scorers with 21 points. Erica Wheeler led the Sparks again, finishing with 17 points, but she couldn’t provide the same late game valor.

Te’a Cooper returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game while serving a one-game suspension for entering the court during an altercation in the previous loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Bria Holmes started in her place again scoring 11, Cooper went scoreless in just 13 minutes.

The Sparks’ Amanda Zahui B. had three fouls in the first quarter while guarding Phoenix center Brittney Griner and sat out the rest of the half.

Kristine Anigwe was assigned to guard the 6-foot-9 Griner for the majority of the game, holding her to 14 points in the game after Griner score 30 in Wednesday’s game.

Emotions ran high in a game where multiple players were knocked to the ground, Fisher and Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham earned technical fouls. The Sparks weren’t able to capitalize on the kind of scrappiness they typically feed off of.

The Mercury ended a four-game losing streak dating back to June 8.

The two Western Conference rivals will play one more regular season game June 26.

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