Update: Parker had seven rebounds, two blocks, and two steals as the Tulsa Shock beat the L.A. Sparks to snap a WNBA record 20-game losing streak.
There are four WNBA games on tonight, but one of the best things occurring is that Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker will be playing in honor of Tennessee Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, who announced that she's been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's on Tuesday.
A number of people in the Tennessee family from Alexis Hornbuckle to Peyton Manning have made public statements in support of their schools icon, but tonight Parker will be wearing orange shoes as part of “wear orange to support Pat Summitt” day (video from Summitt here) and playing to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association in accordance with the basketball principles that Summitt preaches.
While I'll be rooting for a career-highs and a quadruple-double in that game (10 p.m. EDT on NBA TV), there are also playoff implications across the four-game schedule tonight.
SBN Seattle is tracking the Western Conference playoff picture and there are a few details on the Eastern Conference below.
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Who: Connecticut Sun vs. Phoenix Mercury Preview: WNBA.com preview What: After the Seattle Storm's win last night, the Mercury are playing for second place in the Western Conference while the Sun will look to solidify their place in the standings. Their last game went into overtime, so this should be a pretty good one. |
Who: Minnesota Lynx vs. San Antonio Silver Stars Preview: WNBA.com preview |
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Who: Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics Where: Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL |
Who: Los Angeles Sparks vs. Tulsa Shock When: 10:30 p.m. EDT on NBA TV/WNBA Live Access Where: Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA Preview: WNBA.com preview What: In addition to Parker's fundraising effort described above, the Sparks have another really good opportunity to pick up a game on the Silver Stars in the Western Conference standings with a win tonight. The Shock will look to break their 20-game losing streak with a win against the Sparks, who they've played close in previous games. |
Feel free to leave your additional links, insights, and calculations of how much money Parker has made in the comments below.
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