LOS ANGELES — The smirk worn by Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper was real. His team had just lost to the Sacramento Monarchs, but, as Cooper reminded everyone, the Sparks still have home-court advantage.
"The luxury of going 28-4 is you got two games at your place," he said after the Sparks lost 80-60 Sunday in Game 2 of the WNBA Western Conference finals.
Owning the league's best regular-season record gave the Sparks home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, which resume Monday night with a decisive third game at Staples Center.
"It just depends on who's hungry," said Yolanda Griffith, who led Sacramento with 24 points.
"We'll be very hungry and have a greater sense of urgency," said Lisa Leslie, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Sparks and received the league's MVP award before tipoff.
The Sparks had their 17-game home winning streak snapped in front of 11,972 fans, including Lakers teammates Shaquille O'Neal and Derek Fisher.
Charlotte beat New York 62-53 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Since moving to Staples this season, the Sparks were the first WNBA team to go undefeated at home in the regular season with a 16-0 record and then beat four-time defending league champion Houston in the first round of the playoffs.
The Sparks beat the Monarchs three times in the regular season and won the playoff opener 74-73 Friday in Sacramento.
But this time the Monarchs improved their outside shooting and forced the Sparks into a season-high 20 turnovers to pull off the upset.
"We won, but who cares? We have to get ready for the most important game of the season," Griffith said. "They're going to come out hungry and be upset that we came back and beat them like we did."
Ticha Penicheiro added 19 points and reserve Ruthie Bolton-Holifield had 17 as Sacramento shot 44 percent from the field.
Penicheiro had the highlight of the game when she flipped the ball behind her back and banked it in to end the first half.
"We see the shot and we're back on our heels looking like, 'Oh gosh, not one of these nights,' " Sparks forward DeLisha Milton said.
"I felt like I had to come up and hit the big shots in order for us to win," said Penicheiro, who hit five of Sacramento's 10 3-pointers and added seven assists.
Los Angeles controlled the boards 37-29 but shot 32 percent and never led in the second half.
"We had some good looks at the basket, we just weren't focused enough in really concentrating and putting the ball in the basket," Cooper said. "Give us those same looks tomorrow night and this'll be a 20-point lead the other way."
Leslie had just two points in the second half when she played with four fouls and committed two of her four turnovers.
"We got a little overconfident," Leslie said. "We missed a lot of baskets we usually don't miss, and they made a lot of baskets that they haven't been making against us."
The Sparks were surprised by Sacramento's physical play, especially Leslie, who sported a welt near her left eye and a cut lip.
"They played extremely physical down there, and the officials let it go," Cooper said. "That's the way playoff basketball is, nothing wrong with that."
Bolton-Holifield had 17 points, including consecutive 3-pointers that keyed a 14-0 run to end the first half with the Monarchs ahead 41-37. Penicheiro gave them an extra jolt with her acrobatic driving layup.
"Those type of shots build your confidence and energy," Griffith said.
STING 62, LIBERTY 53: Andrea Stinson took over in the second half, scoring 16 of her team's final 22 points as the Charlotte Sting, facing playoff elimination, defeated the New York Liberty.
Evening their WNBA Eastern Conference finals series at one game apiece, the visiting Sting forced a deciding Game 3 to be played Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Stinson finished with 18 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Sting, who lost Game 1 by allowing the Liberty to score the final 13 points. This time, Charlotte closed with an 18-7 run behind the five-year veteran who has started every game in team history.