Monarchs 83, Sparks 75

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) After just a few weeks in Sacramento, Kara Lawson totally understands the locals' strong feelings about their rivals to the south.

``There's nothing better for Sacramento fans than beating an L.A. team,'' the Monarchs' rookie guard said with a grin. ``This is a pretty physical, pretty intense rivalry.''

Lawson hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 24 points, and Yolanda Griffith had 10 points and seven rebounds as Sacramento beat the league-leading Los Angeles Sparks 83-75 Thursday night.

Edna Campbell hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in Sacramento's sixth victory in seven games under interim coach John Whisenant.

Lawson, a former Tennessee star, fell one shy of the WNBA record for 3-pointers in a prolific display of outside shooting. The fifth overall pick in the last draft was acquired from Detroit two months ago, but she had a slow start in Sacramento before picking up her game recently.

``We need to win games to get in the playoff picture, and I know my job is to give an offensive spark off the bench,'' Lawson said. ``I had great looks with all of those passes from Ticha (Penicheiro) and everybody else. It was just me knocking down easy shots.''

Seattle beat Charlotte 69-54 in the only other WNBA game.

Lawson has scored in double figures in five of the Monarchs' last six games and with her father, William, watching from the stands, she was a star.

``He probably knows my game better than anyone else, because he taught it to me,'' Lawson said. ``He's happy for me on the inside, even if he doesn't show it.''

In their second straight victory over Los Angeles following 10 consecutive losses, the Monarchs jumped to a 14-point lead early in the second half. They blew it all, falling behind 63-61 on DeLisha Milton's free throws with 6:55 to play.

But Lawson and Lady Grooms hit big shots for Sacramento in the closing minutes. The Monarchs also got back over .500 for the first time since May 30 with their first regular-season win over the Sparks at Arco Arena in three years.

``These ladies deserve a great deal of credit,'' Whisenant said. ``They've listened to what we asked them to do. They've bought into our new system of more pressure on defense and more patience on offense.''

Nikki Teasley had a career-high 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Sparks. The two-time defending WNBA champions played without All-Stars Lisa Leslie and Tamecka Dixon, who are out with bruised knees.

``I don't think Sacramento is playing any differently,'' Teasley said. ``They're playing with more heart, though. They have a new coach, and you can tell they're playing harder.''

DeLisha Milton added 20 points and eight rebounds, and Mwadi Mabika had 16 points and seven assists.

Campbell hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half, giving Sacramento a 38-26 lead. With owners Joe and Gavin Maloof watching from their courtside seats, the Monarchs boosted their lead to 42-28 before Los Angeles' 23-7 run, which included 12 straight points.

Leslie hasn't played in three weeks for the Sparks, who lost for the fourth time in six games.

``Sacramento has made some changes, and they've come out with a lot of intensity,'' Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. ``We are a player short a big player short. But that's still not a reason to lose this game.''< ^Storm 69, Sting 54=

In Seattle, Lauren Jackson scored 23 points and set a team record with 20 rebounds as the Seattle beat Charlotte.

It was the fifth 20-20 performance in WNBA history.

Jackson smashed her previous career high and the team record of 14 rebounds she shared with Simone Edwards. Jackson nearly completed her sixth double-double of the season in the first half, when she had 14 points and nine rebounds as the Storm moved to a 36-28 lead at the break.

The Sting (13-11) came out strong in the second half behind the play of Dawn Staley, who picked up seven of her 16 points during a 16-3 run to start the half. The run was capped by a breakaway layup from Staley that gave Charlotte a 44-39 lead.

The Storm (14-10) would stay close, and Jackson's three-point play with 8:27 left gave Seattle a 49-48 lead.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)