Chicago Sky scouting report

Chicago Sky (12-15) at Los Angeles Sparks (8-17)When: 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Staples CenterTV: CN100Last time: On Sunday, the Sky lost to the Mercury in Phoenix (97-96); on Friday, the Sparks lost to the Liberty in New York (88-79).Sky view: With seven regular season games left, the Sky is three games out of fourth place in the Eastern Conference, which would qualify the team for the playoffs- A questionable call on Sunday in Phoenix in the final seconds put Mercury star Diana Taurasi at the line for two free throws that iced the game for Phoenix. In that game, the Sky got a career-high 35 points from Sylvia Fowles, 23 points from Jia Perkins and 14 points from rookie reserve guard Epiphanny Prince. The loss extended the Sky's losing streak to 3 games.The L.A. view: Even though they are well below the .500 mark, the Sparks are just one-half game out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, which features only one team above .500. The Seattle Storm boasts the best record in the league at 22-3. Phoenix is second place at 12-13- The Sparks, who will be playing their first home game since July 20, is led by veteran forward Tina Thompson but is missing star forward Candace Parker, a native of Naperville, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in June-Coming home: The Sky has been on a long road trip. Saturday's game against Minnesota at Allstate Arena will be its first at home since July 23. The Sky is currently 1-3 on its five-game road trip.Next: Minnesota Lynx at Sky, 2 p.m. Saturday