If you've paid even cursory attention to WNBA commentary this year, you've heard people say repeatedly that the league is better than its ever been as it turns 15.
Games like the Los Angeles Sparks' 74-50 beating of the Seattle Storm only reinforces that notion.
The Storm, widely assumed to be the favorite to win the WNBA title for a second consecutive year prior to the season, simply didn't have the firepower to match the Sparks' hot shooting - they were outshot 49.2 percent to 30.3 percent in their first road game of the season.
Their offensive struggles stem at least partially from their inability to hit outside shots thus far this season - the Sparks were able to sit in a zone for as long as they wanted to and watch as the Storm shot 4-for-20 from the 3-point line. With a long frontline and depth off the bench, the Sparks just kept clicking even after the Storm cut the lead to single digits in the third quarter and outlasted their guests at the Staples Center.
Although the Sparks' hot 54.5 percent 3-point shooting is certainly part of the story of what won them the game, particularly in contrast to the Storm's inability to hit anything from outside, another noteworthy Father's Day story was Kristi Toliver. With her father in attendance, Toliver was more than the 3-point specialist she's often pegged as - Toliver had a well-rounded line of 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists with only two turnovers and not one 3-point attempt. Sparks forward Ebony Hoffman led the Sparks in scoring with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting and Candace Parker finished with a team-high seven rebounds to go with 10 points.
For the Storm, point guard Sue Bird carried the load with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting while forward Camille Little chipped in a team-high eight rebounds to go with eight points.
The Storm continue their road trip on Tuesday with a game against the Tulsa Shock, whose frenetic style of play resulted in a road loss for the Storm last year and have made strides this season in adding 6-foot-8 center Liz Cambage as well as former Stanford forward Kayla Pedersen to the roster.