Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
STATS LLC
Coming off consecutive lopsided losses, the Los Angeles Sparks are looking for answers after spending much of the season atop the Western Conference.
That spot now belongs to the San Antonio Silver Stars, whose only question seems to be how long their winning streak will last.
San Antonio will look to match a franchise record with its eighth straight victory on Monday night when it visits slumping Los Angeles, which will be playing its final home game for more than six weeks.
The Sparks (12-8) were the WNBA's hottest team early in the season, winning 10 of their first 13 games to move into first place in the West. Since then, they've lost five of seven, including their last two by 18 points each.
The hottest team now is the Silver Stars (15-6), who have the best record in the league and longest active winning streak. They haven't won eight in a row since 2001, when the team played in Utah.
The streak was tested on Friday by expansion Atlanta, but San Antonio outscored the Dream 48-27 in the second half to earn an 82-74 victory.
"Atlanta came out playing much better than us," Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. "They came in with confidence and were making all the right plays that put us in a hole. But I think our team dug deep."
The tandem of Becky Hammon and Sophia Young continued to overwhelm opponents, as Hammon scored 26 points while Young added 25 and 11 rebounds. Hammon has averaged 23.3 points in her last four games, while Young has scored at least 20 in six of her past seven contests.
Offense has been a problem for the Sparks recently. They had scored at least 70 in every game this season until an 87-69 loss at Sacramento on Thursday, and struggled even more in Saturday's 70-52 loss at Seattle, shooting 34.0 percent from the field and getting outrebounded 47-29.
"I don't know what it was, but we've got to fix it," Sparks rookie Candace Parker said. "None of us really shot the ball well. We didn't really get into our offense effectively and efficiently. When you're not shooting the ball well, you need offensive rebounds and putbacks, and we didn't have that."
One problem has been Lisa Leslie's struggles. The veteran center had scored in double digits in 17 of her first 18 games, but she's failed to reach that mark in each of the last two, shooting a combined 5-of-20 from the field.
The Sparks are hoping a return home solves their offensive struggles. Los Angeles has won its last two home games, scoring a combined 173 points.
After Monday's game, the Sparks begin a season-high six game road trip, and with the Olympic break immediately following, they next play at home against Sacramento on Aug. 28.
The teams have met once this season, with San Antonio earning a 77-75 home win on June 20 despite 27 points from Parker. That was the Silver Stars' fourth straight win against the Sparks, including two at Staples Center last season.
Coming off consecutive lopsided losses, the Los Angeles Sparks are looking for answers after spending much of the season atop the Western Conference.
That spot now belongs to the San Antonio Silver Stars, whose only question seems to be how long their winning streak will last.
San Antonio will look to match a franchise record with its eighth straight victory on Monday night when it visits slumping Los Angeles, which will be playing its final home game for more than six weeks.
The Sparks (12-8) were the WNBA's hottest team early in the season, winning 10 of their first 13 games to move into first place in the West. Since then, they've lost five of seven, including their last two by 18 points each.
The hottest team now is the Silver Stars (15-6), who have the best record in the league and longest active winning streak. They haven't won eight in a row since 2001, when the team played in Utah.
The streak was tested on Friday by expansion Atlanta, but San Antonio outscored the Dream 48-27 in the second half to earn an 82-74 victory.
"Atlanta came out playing much better than us," Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. "They came in with confidence and were making all the right plays that put us in a hole. But I think our team dug deep."
The tandem of Becky Hammon and Sophia Young continued to overwhelm opponents, as Hammon scored 26 points while Young added 25 and 11 rebounds. Hammon has averaged 23.3 points in her last four games, while Young has scored at least 20 in six of her past seven contests.
Offense has been a problem for the Sparks recently. They had scored at least 70 in every game this season until an 87-69 loss at Sacramento on Thursday, and struggled even more in Saturday's 70-52 loss at Seattle, shooting 34.0 percent from the field and getting outrebounded 47-29.
"I don't know what it was, but we've got to fix it," Sparks rookie Candace Parker said. "None of us really shot the ball well. We didn't really get into our offense effectively and efficiently. When you're not shooting the ball well, you need offensive rebounds and putbacks, and we didn't have that."
One problem has been Lisa Leslie's struggles. The veteran center had scored in double digits in 17 of her first 18 games, but she's failed to reach that mark in each of the last two, shooting a combined 5-of-20 from the field.
The Sparks are hoping a return home solves their offensive struggles. Los Angeles has won its last two home games, scoring a combined 173 points.
After Monday's game, the Sparks begin a season-high six game road trip, and with the Olympic break immediately following, they next play at home against Sacramento on Aug. 28.
The teams have met once this season, with San Antonio earning a 77-75 home win on June 20 despite 27 points from Parker. That was the Silver Stars' fourth straight win against the Sparks, including two at Staples Center last season.
