UPDATE: Minnesota defeated Los Angeles 92-84 at Target Center before an announced crowd of 7,923. You can read the game story here.

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Ah, it's games like these that I try not to trip about the WNBA's selection of coverage. But dang I wish Thursday's Western Conference showdown between Los Angeles and Minnesota was on regular television. Instead NBA-TV is bringing us features on The Worm, Red and Big Game.

We're still in the midst of NBA playoffs, so it's understandable the focus isn't on the first full week of WNBA play. Yet, given the way the Sparks and the defending champion Lynx have started, the matchup at the Target Center could be a conference finals preview.

"We had a good shootaround to get ready for the game," said Minnesota PG Lindsay Whalen after the morning practice. "We're ready to go, I hope."

The Lynx (2-0) have defeated Phoenix (sans Diana Taurasi) and New York (on the road) by an average of 20 points to start the season. The Sparks (2-0) have only played Seattle, but rallied from a 21-point deficit and displayed solid depth in both wins against the Storm to pique interest in what LA might do against a different conference rival.

You can catch the game at 5pm PST on LiveAccess. Remember there's a $4.99 charge, which covers the entire season. The fee also covers watching games on your mobile device.

LA-Minnesota is the only WNBA game on Thursday. The league picks up with seven games over the weekend, including Seattle's game at Minnesota on Sunday.

"We're not where we want to be," coach Cheryl Reeve told The Associated Press. "We certainly had some good moments, but we like to be talking about a win and saying we have to get better rather than losing and saying we have to get better. We still have a long way to go."

WNBA attendance is always a topic. The league is constantly shuffling around matchups to get the best draw to either look good on television or help struggling franchises. That's why you won't see many games on Monday nights -- they don't work. Or too many home games in June in markets where it's a high graduation/school month.

But to say folks aren't showing like before is a little misleading. Attendance in 2011 was technically up about two percent to its best mark since 2005. And Minnesota had a record 12,611 for its season-opener on Sunday -- largest in franchise history for opening day.

In Los Angeles' case, you can blame decision-making by front office brass for the packs of empty seats for Tuesday's home-opener despite 10,717 reported attendance at Staples Center.

About 1,000 "fans" are actually premium reserved seats purchased for year-round admittance to events at Staples Center. And about 3,000 tickets had to be refunded because of the choice to move the opener from Sunday to Tuesday to accommodate NBA and NHL postseason play.

In the past, the Sparks have drawn an honest 11,000 to games against Seattle.

STORM LOSES: Something unexplainable happened with the blog and team in the third quarter. I wasn't able to post and they were unable to post up or handle the ball, losing 74-61. Seattle committed 19 turnovers overall for 24 Los Angeles points. A lot was sloppy play, but LA did play a lot better. Parker, who played 10 minutes in the second half of the Sparks' 21-point comeback win on Friday, was all over the place on Tuesday and the reason behind the win. She finished with 21 points, 10 boards and six monster blocks. The Storm posts of Wauters, Little, and Thompson had 38 points and 15 rebounds combined, but Little committed six turnovers. The flashy backcourt of Bird and Wright was horrendous, committing more turnovers (nine) than points (seven) combined. Seattle has a lot of work to do and luckily has time. Four days to be exact before it plays the defending champion Lynx on the road Sunday. Minnesota is 2-0 after defeating New York 80-62 on Tuesday. In the WNBA's other game Tuesday, Phoenix squeaked by Tulsa 89-87 behind 31 points from Candice Dupree. G Diana Taurasi (hip flexor) played, but finished with three points in nine minutes.

HALFTIME: Once again the turnovers are killing the Storm. Bird had a whopper toward the end of the half, over shooting Wauters, who would have had an easy layin. Instead the teams close the half with LA up 37-33. Seattle has given up 14 points on 13 turnovers overall. LA has allowed 10 on nine, which almost makes it a wash, but the margin is four, so...Parker has been nullified in the second quarter, leading everyone with a game-high 11 points. Thompson dropped two three-pointers to lead Seattle with eight. LA is also burning it up in the paint, Parker getting a monster block on Little and helping to give the Sparks a 20-10 advantage in scoring inside. The Storm has to clean up its passing and play more aggressive in the second half.

WRIGHT AND WRONG: The Storm went on a mini run, Wright dishing to Thompson at the top of the key for a three-point to inch within 33-30. But then Wright had a turnover and foul to stall the good vibe. Seattle did draw a shot-clock violation on LA and is down 35-30 with 56 seconds left in the half.

BIRD BACK: Agler put Bird back in the game, but Seattle still committed a turnover and Ebony Hoffman scored a jumper to make the lead 28-19 with 6:58 left in the half.

Unlike Lebron James, whose pricey entrance into the NBA effectively killed the Cleveland Rockers' existence, Kobe Bryant may have done the Los Angeles Sparks a massive favor.

Of course the superstar wasn't trying to in scoring a game-high 42 points (and zero assists), in a 106-90 loss to Oklahoma City on Monday. But the defeat kicked the Lakers from the postseason, dropping the Western Conference semifinal series 4-1 to the Thunder.

With the Clippers swept by San Antonio, the massive NBA shadow that normally hovers over the Sparks until late June is suddenly cleared in time for the team's home-opener Tuesday at Staples Center.

Longtime WNBA prognosticators have felt LA needs to succeed in order for the league to prosper. It's a big market that has fans stretched across the nation just because it's LA. While I believe Seattle can carry the flag with its passion and leadership in technology, I see the point.

Once moved to make room for the boys (LA was supposed to open Sunday), the Sparks (1-0) now have a clean slate to really shine. And who better to help show, again, what the zenith of the WNBA can be than Seattle as an opponent?

Storm coach Brian Agler finalized his roster on Wednesday, cutting rookie G Ashley Corral and veteran Allie Quigley, but the latter was really a smooth transition. She obtained her Hungarian passport, which enables her to compete for the country's national team.

In evaluating whether to stay and compete for a slim chance on a WNBA roster or play overseas, getting the lucrative European status when teams are limited in the amount of American players they can hold, Quigley made a smart choice. She remains stateside for a week then will join the Hungarian team to compete in EuroBasket qualifiers from June 13 through July 14.

"She had a good camp. The game-situations for her were a little bit of a roller coaster," said Agler, whose staff gave Quigley the weekend to consider her options. "For her personally and for her career, getting that passport is valuable."

Agler didn't suspend Quigley to further give her options in signing with either the Storm or another team, if needed, after the qualifier. If she were suspended, she would be out until the status lifts Dec. 1, 2012. That's also why the Storm couldn't suspend three-time MVP Lauren Jackson, who plans to join the team after competing with Australia in the London Olympic Games.

STORM LOSES: Guess the lesson is Seattle still really can't play without Bird while LA can manage without Parker. As both the stars took extended breaks in the second half, the Sparks went on a 29-8 run stretched across the third quarter to the 2:53 mark of the fourth to tie the score at 62 points apiece. From there, Toliver hit three-pointers and Seattle's fight faded as LA won 72-66 before a sold out crowd of 9,686. "It was great," Parker said of watching most of the run. She finished with 11 points. "We made our run with our defense and transition baskets. It's hard to hold a lead like that. When you're up by that much, you tend to try to hold the ball and try not to let the other team score. I think we took advantage of that." Good news is Seattle (0-1) plays the Sparks (1-0), again, Tuesday after a day off Saturday and two practices. The alarming part is six Storm players who've played at least five years in the league don't or didn't act like they understand WNBA games aren't over just because you have a 21-point lead in the third quarter. Hello. Didn't Seattle come back from 28 down once? Toliver led all scorers with 25 points, 17 in the second half. The biggest was a three-pointer where she got a lucky bounce. Wauters shined for Seattle, finishing with 17 points and seven boards. "I hope that's as bad as we'll be in the fourth quarter," said Agler of the polarizing quarters his team played from the first to last. "We don't want to see that again. I'm hoping we can be even better than we were in the first quarter and be consistent. We'll develop some toughness both physically and mentally. That's going to have to come from some of our veteran players. We'll get better as a team."

BREAK TIME II: I'm checking out to write the daily story. Follow me on Twitter (@JaydaEvans or look to the right of your screen) for a quick update on the final score. Otherwise I'll be back afterward for a wrap.

HEY NEWBIE: The massive lead is allowing Agler to go to his bench, putting second-year F Victoria Dunlap in the game. She score a putback for her first points as a member of the Storm. Add another trey by Thompson and the Storm is up 54-33 with 2:20 left in the third.

TT FOR THREE: Thompson scored two three-pointers early in the second half and Seattle is up 41-26 with 6:59 on the clock. She must have felt some of those brewing gripes about her lack of offense in the opener.

A FIRST: Nneka scored her first points as a pro, a jumper with 9:16 on the clock in the third quarter. The Sparks are down 38-26.

The WNBA tips-off its 16th season with one game on Friday, the Storm hosting longtime rival in the Los Angeles Sparks. While both teams are getting used to plenty of new faces, the Sparks' future will be all about Candace Parker -- Point. Blank. Period. Dot com, to steal a catchphrase from Tamar Braxton.

A 6-foot-4 post, Parker has missed 27 of her team's past 68 games due to shoulder surgery in 2010 and a torn lateral meniscus in 2011. She's shy to talk about her heath, but the 2008 MVP and Rookie of the Year knows she has to stay on the court.

"I am looking forward to the start of the WNBA season, I really am," said Parker, 26, who's also a member of USA Basketball's Olympic team that will compete at the London Games this summer. "I can't necessarily say that about years' past with it being right after overseas (play) and being tired and everything. But this year I'm really looking forward to it because I've missed playing in front of my hometown."

Parker won the Russian league championship with Sue Bird at the helm. During play over the course of the season Parker also picked up a new nickname, "Candy." At least that's what broadcasters constantly blared when she cut to the hoop like the Tennessee star with whom we're familiar. (Side note: I couldn't get Cameo's hit "It's Like Candy" out of my head all offseason due to those broadcasts).

"That's not my name," said Parker, who's been told several times of the fun moniker. She still prefers "CP3." "I've never gone by Candy. Ever."

In a late-night move on Tuesday, the WNBA launched a fee for use to view games via its LiveAccess site. The charge is nominal, $4.99 for the entire season, but a switch none the less. In the past it was free.

Fans can watch one, two or four live games at once on their screen, catch up on archived games and get box scores and play-by-play stats on the site. In total, more than 200 games are available, excluding exhibition matchups and games on national television.

The WNBA has angered fans in the past because of glitches on the site. I was told by a few officials that those were fixed, one even stating that problems can be worked on while not going live and will be ironed out.

The Storm tips off its season Friday on KONG, hosting Los Angeles at 7 p.m. at KeyArena. Six games total will be aired on the station this season. Seattle also plays five games on ESPN2 and four on NBATV, including the opener for those outside KONG's broadcasting reach.

Teams like LA and Connecticut have announced bigger television deals for this season than Seattle's.

Here's the complete WNBA game schedule.