The hottest team in the WNBA — the Los Angeles Sparks, led by Candace Parker — will host Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, July 18, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2. The winner of five straight games, the Sparks are in second place in the West Conference standings with a 10-4 overall mark, with Los Angeles facing the Atlanta Dream, which is in first place in the East Conference, on Wednesday night. The Mercury are sitting 3.5 games behind first place, currently third in the standings with an 8-7 overall record.
-30-