Sparks Don’t Let Up at Phoenix

PHOENIX â€”  It would have been easy for the Sparks to take the night off.

Their legs were probably still heavy after Thursday’s taut home victory over the Washington Mystics and the morning flight to the Valley of the Sun. Plus, Houston, the Sparks’ closest pursuer in the Western Conference, is coming to Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.

So for Coach Michael Cooper, what was the most satisfying aspect of the Sparks’ 84-72 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, before 8,596 at the America West Arena?

Was it seeing six players in double figures, led by Lisa Leslie with 18 points and 14 rebounds? Getting 20 assists to counterbalance 19 turnovers? Was it the Sparks’ overall 45-28 rebounding edge, which meant the Mercury--which shot 36.8% for the game--had few extra attempts? Or rookie point guard Nikki Teasley, with 12 points and six assists, playing her best game as a pro?

How about all of the above? Each factor was linked to the Sparks (12-1) being able to extend their current winning streak to nine, and beat the Mercury (7-5) for the second time in four days.

“[Passing] the ball and rebounding the ball have been the keys to our success this year,” Cooper said. “When we move the ball, we get good looks. When we rebound the ball, we can get out and run. And I thought we did a good job after playing a tough game yesterday.”

When asked about Teasley, Cooper, who has been her biggest supporter, wore a bigger smile.

“I’d like to think it was a coming-out party tonight,” Cooper said. “She’s starting to understand how to score and when to score in the offense.”

Teasley, who has been grateful for the Sparks’ patience with her progress, didn’t want to call Friday’s effort her best, but the rookie passed another test by playing heavy minutes in back-to-back games. “There’s been so much to learn, and tonight was another learning experience,” said Teasley. “But I’m getting more confident.”

In addition to Leslie and Teasley, the Sparks got 14 points from Mwadi Mabika, 13 from DeLisha Milton, 12 from Latasha Byears and 11 from Tamecka Dixon. Milton added 13 rebounds. Said Leslie of Phoenix: “I think they had, what, seven rebounds in the second half? That’s the game right there.”

Phoenix, which was playing its second game under interim coach Linda Sharp after the resignation of Cynthia Cooper on Wednesday, made some headway when it ran. Former Spark guard Gordana Grubin finished with a career-high 23 points and Jennifer Gillom had 16 points for Phoenix, but when L.A. switched to a matchup zone the Mercury settled for jump shots and fell behind, 45-40, at halftime.