While there are no moral victories in sports, the Los Angeles Sparks are several possessions away from having a respectable record instead of being 5-17 this season. It was evident once again in their last four games. Their Tuesday game against the Washington Mystics (5-17) at Crypto.com Arena on July 2, the Sparks went into the 4th quarter with a double-digit lead, only to find themselves down by two points when the final buzzer went off. That loss extended the Sparks losing streak to eight consecutive games.
The following game last Friday night on July 5, at Crypo.com Arena against the Las Vegas Aces (13-7), the Sparks took another double-digit lead into the 4th quarter only to find it disappear for a second consecutive game. This time, the Sparks showed resilience, pulling out an overtime victory behind Dearica Hamby’s 24 points and 14 rebounds, snapping their eight game losing streak.
The Sparks continued their homestand last Sunday afternoon with a matchup against the Phoenix Mercury (11-10). The Sparks didn't get discouraged by an early 10-point deficit at the end of the first quarter. They kept fighting the entire game and a putback by forward Rickea Jackson with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter tied the game (78-78) and gave Jackson a career high in scoring with 22 points.
Those would be the last points the Sparks scored, as the Mercury tallied the final six points of the game to secure an 84-78 victory. After three solid showings, the Sparks faced the Minnesota Lynx (16-6) last Tuesday night in their fourth consecutive home game. The Lynx came out with more energy and built on their lead in each of the first three quarters. The Sparks finished with 20 turnovers and lost to the Lynx for the third consecutive time this season, 82-67.
The Los Angeles Sparks are currently second to last in the WNBA standings. Despite their struggles, the Sparks have shown signs of resilience, great play, teamwork, fight, and great team spirit on and off the court this season.
The challenge has been finding consistency each night and limiting the mistakes in key moments when the game’s outcome hangs in the balance. This year's No. 4 draft pick, Rickea Jackson (10.9 PPG), and veteran forward Azura Stevens (10.0 PPG) are the only two players along with All-Star Dearica Hamby (19.1 PPG) who are averaging double figures in scoring for the Sparks.
The Sparks also average 15 turnovers per game, which means they lose a relatively high number of possessions every time they step on the court. Add in the misfortunes of their No. 2 overall draft pick, rookie forward Cameron Brink, who was firmly in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year before she suffered a season ending knee injury a few weeks ago. Also guard Lexie Brown is out indefinitely with Crohn's disease.
After the loss to the Mystics in the recent four game homestand, where the Sparks didn’t look sharp in the 4th quarter and gave away a double-digit lead, star forward Dearica Hamby was asked in the post-game press conference about any lingering effects from frustrating losses. “We’re not lacking confidence that the bigger picture isn’t going to happen.” Hamby understands the importance of patience with this team and allowing players to find their way, just as she had to early in her career. Putting a team together is like assembling a puzzle. When the roles are identified, the pieces fit perfectly, leading to more success than failures in crunch time during the fourth quarter.
The Sparks have two more home games during the next few days before they are off for a month because of the Olympic break. Their next two games are against the Dallas Wings on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, July 16, at 12:30 p.m.
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