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INGLEWOOD, California (Ticker) -- Maybe the Los Angeles Sparks were looking ahead on the schedule. Lisa Leslie and DeLisha Milton picked up their fifth fouls midway through the second half and the Sparks nearly recovered but saw a pair of 12-game winning streaks snapped with a shocking 80-77 setback to the expansion Portland Fire. Los Angeles entered the contest hoping to tie the WNBA record for most consecutive home wins and move within two of the league mark for most overall victories. But the stunner came three nights before the Sparks host the Houston Comets, who hold both records. Instead of moving into position where they could take the outright lead over the Comets (18-2) in the Western Conference on Friday, the Sparks (16-3) sit 1 1/2 games back. Leslie picked up her fifth foul with 11:43 left and Milton was whistled for her fifth with eight minutes remaining, crippling the Sparks' dominant frontcourt. Stacey Thomas hit a layup with 7:41 remaining to close an 8-0 run as Portland raced to a 72-63 lead. The lead grew to 75-65 with 5:21 left when Thomas made 1-of-2 free throws. Los Angeles began its charge. The Sparks scored eight straight points to get within two with 1:30 to play as Mwadi Mabika made 1-of-2 from the line. Ukari Figgs scored five points in the spurt. Sophia Witherspoon drilled a free throw with 60 seconds left to put Portland ahead, 78-75, but Mabika hit a layup with 42 seconds remaining for a one-point game. Witherspoon missed a layup and Los Angeles looked for the lead but Milton misfired on a hook and Portland's Vanessa Nygaard grabbed the rebound. She hit two foul shots with 6.5 seconds left for a three-point lead and Mabika missed a desperation 30-footer at the buzzer. "It's not really about the last shot, it's about our whole team effort," Leslie said. "We just weren't on the same page in many of the situations. They really shot the ball and were obviously the better team tonight." Witherspoon scored 29 points and Nygaard added 13 for the Fire, who have won two straight games for the first time in club history. Witherspoon has averaged 21.5 points the last six games and has been the leading scorer five times in that stretch. "We wanted to come out and be aggressive and just play our game," Witherspoon said. "We felt a sense of calm down the stretch as a team. We stuck together and did not come apart." Witherspoon shot 4-of-5 from 3-point range to help the Fire hit 9-of-15 from beyond the arc. "The 3-ball was keeping us in the game," Thomas said. "We have players on this team that can step it up. We have been working on our shooting all season long. We just have to keep finishing games like this." Reserve center Michele VanGorp scored eight points off the bench for Portland, which played without two starters. Forward Alisa Burras sat out with a sprained knee and Sylvia Crawley was benched. "Michele is a pleasant surprise," Fire coach Linda Hargrove said. "She likes to body people up and she doesn't back down from anybody. I was worried about that matchup (with Leslie). We didn't have a lot of enthusiam with our health situation." Mabika poured in 22 points and Milton added 15 for the Sparks, who allowed 80 points for the first time in 10 games. It was their second loss to an expansion team this season as they fell to Seattle, 69-59 in overtime, on June 13. "It doesn't mean the end of our season," Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. "We gave a valiant effort. We knew the team was coming in and they're one of the most dangerous teams. They had nothing to lose." Portland used outstanding shooting from the floor at 54 percent (29-of-54) to overcome a poor 54 percent (13-of-24) from the line. Los Angeles made 91 percent (20-of-22) of its free throws and 42 percent (26-of-62) from the field. Leslie's troubles began in the first half when she picked up her third foul with 12:32 remaining and played only 11 minutes. She finished with 10 points on just 3-of-12 shooting in 24 minutes. Witherspoon scored 17 points as the Fire gained a 41-35 halftime lead.
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