Sky Tue Jun 03 2008

Parker, Fowles in WNBA Showdown

It’s a homecoming for one and a chance to become a hometown hero for the other.

The WNBA’s top two rookies, Naperville native Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky, will try to show why they went one-two in this year’s draft when the two teams meet at the UIC Pavilion tonight, 7 p.m.

It’s the only appearance of the Sparks (3-1) in Chicago this season and represents a big test for the Sky (1-3), who showed signs of improvement last season and suffered a couple of close losses this season.

Parker, a 6-4 forward and the top pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, has proven to be everything the Sparks hoped she would be and then some. She leads the team with a 19.3 ppg average, a whopping 46 rebounds (also tops in the league) and averaged 6.7 assists (third best in the league). As if that weren’t enough, she also has 12 blocked shots, second on the team only to WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie’s 17.

Fowles, a 6-5 center, has also made an immediate impact with her team, averaging 12.5 ppg for the Sky (second on the team), and hauling in 37 rebounds, third best in the league. She leads the team with 12 blocked shots.

The two have a history beyond the WNBA. Parker’s Tennessee squad beat Fowles' LSU team in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament this past April. Tennessee went on to win the title.

Sky officials expect a full house, so if you were thinking about tickets you may want to contact them immediately.

— Ken Green / Comments (0)