Cappie leads Liberty over L.A.

NEWARK -- With 5:56 left in the third quarter Sunday, Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker crumpled to the floor, clutching her right knee in agony as her shrieks filled a silenced arena. Fans and players alike held their breath.

Ahead by 12 points when Parker went down, the Liberty capitalized on her absence with a 77-67 victory, its first win in three games at its new home, the Prudential Center.

Cappie Pondexter finished with 22 points and five assists and Essence Carson had 18 points off the bench for the Liberty. But the postgame celebration was a bit muted because of concern about the condition of Parker, perhaps the WNBA's biggest star. She entered the game ranked sixth in the WNBA in scoring and third in rebounding.

Parker appeared to land awkwardly after leaping to block a shot by Liberty forward Plenette Pierson. She was able to walk off the court with some help from a trainer, was taken to the locker room and did not return.

"Hopefully, she'll be OK," Pierson said. "It's always hard. She's a great player."

Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom said Parker -- who missed all but 10 games last season with a shoulder injury -- would fly back to Los Angeles for an MRI on her right knee Monday. "We're just hoping for the best," she said. "God knows I'm praying."

Parker had been giving the Liberty problems, scoring 16 points and shooting 7-for-12 to go with 11 rebounds. At times, she looked undeniable in transition and in the paint.

But the Sparks kept the Liberty (4-4) in the game with turnovers and poor shooting. Late in the first half, the Sparks (4-3) committed turnovers on three consecutive possessions.

A 12-2 run in the final four minutes before halftime enabled the Liberty to take a 41-33 lead it would not relinquish. Pondexter added an exclamation point to the half with an acrobatic steal and layup at the buzzer.

"That was a big key," Liberty coach John Whisenant said. "I said in the locker room that I hope it doesn't backfire."

It didn't. The Liberty was able to maintain its momentum and keep the defensive pressure on.