LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker needed a lot of ice to get her ankle ready for Thursday night.
And yet, it’s the Phoenix Mercury at risk of getting frozen out.
Parker had 24 points and 13 rebounds – showing no effects of an injury – to help Los Angeles beat Phoenix 86-72 in Game 2 of a WNBA semifinal series.
The defending champion Sparks have won nine straight games and can sweep the best-of-five series Sunday in Arizona after taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
Parker, who played a game-high 36:59 minutes, sustained the injury in warmups before the Sparks’ Game 1 victory. But she played in that game and returned to her usually dominant form in Game 2.