Leslie, Parker Lead Sparks in Easy Win

Sparks 74, Dream 56

ATLANTA -- Lisa Leslie had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Candace Parker followed up her record-breaking rookie debut with 12 points to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 74-56 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.

Parker, who set a WNBA record with 34 points against the Phoenix Mercury in her first game, also had seven rebounds and six assists. DeLisha Milton-Jones had 15 points for the Sparks.

Iziane Castro Marques scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half to lead the Dream, who never led and fell to 0-3. A layup by Marques cut Los Angeles' lead to 49-35 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

But the Sparks answered with a 14-5 run, capped by Kiesha Brown's 3-pointer to give Los Angeles a 63-40 lead early in the fourth quarter. Atlanta, which shot 29 percent from the field, could draw no closer than 14 points.

Parker scored on a hook shot then drove past Chioma Nnamaka for another layup with 24 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Sparks a 41-20 lead. Parker had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists in the first half.

Erika DeSouza had 11 points and six rebounds for Atlanta. Betty Lennox, who scored 21 points in the Dream's last game against the Detriot Shock, scored only four.

Marie Ferdinand-Harris scored 12 points for the Sparks (2-0).