The Sparks Are A Nightmare For The Dream With A 79-63 Victory

Story by L.T.Willis

The Los Angeles Sparks' #3 Candace Parker and The Atlanta Dream's
#11 Yelena Leuchanka. Photo by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

The Atlanta Dream (8-8) came into town to do battle with The Los Angeles Sparks (12-6) with their best player Angel McCoughtry out with a sprained left ACL. The last time these two teams met Atlanta beat the Sparks 92-59 in Atlanta. The Sparks have had problems with this team for the last three seasons since McCoughtry was pick up by Atlanta, but tonight the Sparks were just too much for the Dream to handle without McCoughtry. The Sparks defeated the Dream with strong play from the bench and their starters 79-63.

The Sparks' #30 Nneka Ogwumike. Photo by
Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

The Sparks' Nneka Ogwumike continues to amaze everyone how she has impacted the WNBA and her team came out in the first quarter blazing shooting 4 for5 from the field and finish the the quarter with 8 points and Candace Parker on her way for another double-double had 8 points and 5 rebounds. The Dream's Sancho Lyttle scored 7 points, Tiffany Hayes, Aneika Henry and Lindsey Harding all had 4 points and played the whole first quarter. The Sparks defense was very impressive as players were rotating and helping each other had built a 14 point lead with the Sparks' Kristi Toliver who was struggling from the field 4for12 still had 12 points as the Sparks lead Atlanta 44-36 at the half.

The Sparks' #25 Marissa Coleman and the
Dream's # 33 Catherine Kraayeveld. Photo
by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

The first half the Sparks went to work in the paint scored 28 points on 14 for21 shooting and second chance points was huge with 11 points, but careless turnovers continues to hunt this team other wise the score could have been a lot worst for the Atlanta Dream. The third quarter was no better for the Dream as the Sparks kept them at a fifteen point difference for most of the third quarter, had cut the Sparks lead to 7 points with a Sancho Lyttle layup with 2:46 left in the third. The Sparks answered back after Kristi Toliver hit a 3 pointer and Marissa Coleman's 2 points and 3 point shot push the Sparks to a 65-50 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Candace Parker #3 scored 14 points and
had 12 rebounds for the night. Photo by
Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

Kristi Toliver #20 scored 19 points
and had 6 assist. Photo by
Eric Wade/T.G.Sports

The Los Angeles Sparks improved their record to (13-6) with a victory over the Atlanta Dream (8-9) by the score of 79-63 with another night of balance scoring from the Sparks starters Kristi Toliver 19 points 6 assist, Candace Parker 14 points and 12 rebounds, Nneka Ogwumike 12 points, DeLisha Milton-Jones 11 points and Alana Beard 7 points and 7 assist. The Sparks bench step up big with Marissa Coleman and Jantel Lavender both finish with 8 points. The Atlanta Dream's Sancho Lyttle had 17 points, Aneika Henry 13 points 8 rebounds and Tiffany Hayes had 12 points. All photos are by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports and EW Gems Images.