Dearica Hamby of the Sparks gets ready to make a layup during a recent home game. The Sparks have 12 more games remaining on their regular season schedule. Hamby played on the 3 on 3 women's team that won the Bronze Medal at the Paris Olympics.
The Los Angeles Sparks are having a rough start coming out of the Olympic break, losing four consecutive games to the New York Liberty, Chicago Sky, Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun, with two of those losses being particularly one-sided. The Sparks' situation is further complicated by the absence of their starting point guard, Aari McDonald, due to a foot injury. McDonald has been averaging 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals, while shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three-point range. She was also shooting and 84.3 percent from the free-throw line. Her assist numbers are at a career high.
What was once a four-game margin for the Sparks to close with 16 games remaining has now grown to five games with 12 games left. A playoff push is still possible, but the window is narrowing with each game.
The Los Angeles Sparks currently sit in last place tied with the Washington Mystics in the WNBA standings with a record of 6-22. If the Sparks finish the season in last place, they will have the best odds of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The projected top pick is UConn star Paige Bueckers, who plays point guard, a major position of need for the Sparks.
With 12 games remaining, the team will either rally for a playoff push or increase their odds of securing a top lottery pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The next few weeks will reveal the true potential of this roster and determine whether they can overcome the odds or increase their chances of rebuilding with a future star like Bueckers. Every game from here on out carries significant weight for the team's future, making the final stretch of the season a must-watch for Sparks fans.
The Sparks have three games remaining on their road trip before they return home: Tuesday, August 20th, against the Connecticut Sun; Friday, August 23rd, against the Washington Mystics; and Sunday, August 25th, against the Dallas Wings. They return home on August 28 for a 7 p.m. game.
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