Sparks win 2nd straight, take down lowly Liberty
Riquna Williams and Sydney Wiese scored 17 points each as the Los Angeles Sparks defeated the New York Liberty 93-78 on Tuesday night in a WNBA game at Bradenton, Fla.
Los Angeles overcame Liberty rookie guard Jazmine Jones, who scored a game-high 24 points in 26 minutes off the bench. She made 8-of-16 shots from the floor and 7-of-7 on the foul line.
For the Sparks, Candace Parker added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Brittney Sykes chipped in 15 points for the Sparks (5-3), who never trailed and have now won two straight games.
It was the first time this season that the Sparks - who led New York by as many as 21 points -- have managed consecutive wins.
Layshia Clarendon added 11 points for the Liberty (1-7), who have lost two straight games and have the worst record in the league.
Center Amanda Zahui B. grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and also nine points for the Liberty. She entered the day fourth in the league with 8.9 rebounds per game.
But Liberty guard Kia Nurse, an All-Star last year, struggled from the floor, shooting just 1-for-9. She finished with nine points.
The Liberty were also without star point guard Sabrina Ionescu, who is out due to a sprained left ankle.
Los Angeles doubled up New York in the first quarter in two key areas: shooting percentage from the floor (50 percent to 25 percent) and the actual score, 28-14. The Sparks also made 6-of-7 of their 3-pointers in the quarter, while New York converted on just 1-of-5.
The Sparks extended their lead to 51-34 at halftime. Jones led all scorers with 14 points in the first half.
Los Angeles stretched its lead to 18 points midway through the third quarter. New York answered with a 13-4 run, but the Sparks closed the third on top, 74-62.
The Sparks cruised in the fourth and finished the game shooting 49.3 percent from the floor, including 64.7 percent on 3-pointers (11-for-17).
--Field Level Media
