LOS ANGELES — Lisa Leslie scored 24 points and became the first player to reach 3,000 career points in the WNBA as the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Orlando Miracle 92-84 Monday night.
Leslie finished the game with 3,005 points. She also tied a league record with 21 rebounds and added a career-high eight assists.
Mwadi Mabika added 20 points for Los Angeles (18-4), which expanded its Western Conference lead over second-place Houston to 1 1/2 games.
Nykesha Sales and Shannon Johnson each scored 22 points for Orlando (10-12), which has lost five of six. Wendy Palmer added 17 points.
Leslie scored her 3,000th career point on a follow of her own missed shot with 12:13 remaining. During the next timeout, she gave the ball to her mother who was sitting courtside.
Los Angeles led 63-58 following Leslie's milestone basket. The Sparks scored the next nine points to complete an 11-0 run that gave them a 74-58 advantage with 10:22 to play.
LIBERTY 73, ROCKERS 52: At New York, Tari Phillips scored 15 points, 10 in the first half, as the New York Liberty won their fourth straight game with a 73-52 victory Monday night over the Cleveland Rockers.
Vickie Johnson followed with 14 points, one more than Tamika Whitmore, the WNBA player of the week. Teresa Weatherspoon added a season-high 10 points for New York (14-9), which has won six of eight.
FEVER 73, STING 72: At Indianapolis, Olympia Scott-Richardson made two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining to lift Indiana over Charlotte.
Tamika Catchings and Nikki McCray scored 17 points each for Indiana (9-13), which snapped a four-game losing skid.
Dawn Staley scored 14 points and Allison Feaster 13 for Charlotte (13-9), which lost for the first time in five games. The Sting fell two games behind idle Washington in the race for the Eastern Conference lead.