Sparks attempt to extinguish 8-game skid, host Fever

The Los Angeles Sparks will attempt to end a franchise-record eight-game losing streak on Tuesday night when they welcome the visiting Indiana Fever to town for the first game of a two-game set between the struggling teams.

Tuesday marks one month since Los Angeles (7-15) last won, scoring a 93-83 defeat of the Dallas Wings on June 25. The Sparks reached the .500 mark at 7-7 with that victory. Since then, Los Angeles has lost by an average of 13.3 points per game during its skid following Saturday's 98-84 setback at Dallas.

Despite the dip, Los Angeles is only two games behind Chicago for the eighth and final playoff spot. Indiana, meanwhile, is one of three teams looking up at the Sparks in the standings.

"Our schedule is difficult, we're on the road, we play some of the monster teams out East. It's not going to be easy," Los Angeles coach Curt Miller said in his midseason "state of the team" press conference on Friday.

The Sparks will begin a four-game homestand when the Fever visit before playing four of the next five games on the road from Aug. 4-19. The coming week will be crucial for Los Angeles' playoff aspirations, especially with Lexie Brown working her way back into the lineup after missing 11 games due to illness.

Brown averaged 13.5 points in her first two games back.

Indiana (6-16) snapped its own eight-game losing streak last Wednesday with an 82-76 win over the Washington Mystics, but it lost for the ninth time in 10 games with Sunday's 101-83 setback against New York.

"It's never our offense, I always feel like it's pretty good," Fever guard Victoria Vivians said. "We just have to come in and focus on defense."

Indiana averages 82.2 points per game, good for sixth in the WNBA, but allows 86.2 per contest -- tied with Seattle for the league's most porous scoring defense.

"You've got to have pride," Fever coach Christie Sides said of the team's defensive struggles. "You've got to have a lot more pride and respect for yourself and have your teammate's back."