Sparks look to get out of funk against Fever at home
Rey Moralde
Host · Writer
LOS ANGELES — The Sparks (8-11) are on a three-game losing streak.
Yes, every loss counts as one. But this three-game skid has felt bigger than usual. All three of their losses have been blowouts. In Toronto, Marina Mabrey scored a record-tying 53 points as the Sparks lost by 28. In Indiana, L.A. lost by 24. After eight days off, one would think the Sparks would look refreshed but they looked more rusty than anything as they lost to the Storm by 18 at home.
The Sparks will run it back against the Fever on Wednesday at Crypto.Com Arena. And while the Fever are tough opponents, the Sparks are searching for answers for themselves. The season is not halfway done but they need to turn it around. Fast.
"We're all competitive. We all want to win. We all want to make sure we're playing at our best," Sparks guard Rae Burrell told John W. Davis of the Southern California Newsgroup after Monday's loss. "When we feel like we're not doing that then it can be frustrating. Like I said, try to not let it consume you. Seeing what you need to fix for the next game and try to flush it. And keep going."
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts seemed baffled after their loss against the Storm. After all, they had eight days off to prepare against a team that was below them in the standings. And they only managed to score 64 points.
"We just weren't good offensively," Roberts said during Monday's postgame presser. "I didn't anticipate… the vibe was good. The players were in it. We had a great week. Maybe it was that. I don't know. We just didn't have it on offense. I don't know what else to say other than that… but it might just have been one of those nights."
In their loss against the Fever on the 27th of June, Sparks guard Ariel Atkins admitted they still needed to figure things out.
"I think it feels like a lot of things," Atkins answered after being asked if it was mental for the team. "I hate to be saying that right now where we're at in the season but it feels like we're still trying to figure things out. It could be mental; it could be but it's something that we've got to figure out."
Will they figure it out against the Fever? The team from Indianapolis is currently fifth in the standings at 12-8 but they're not too far ahead of the Sparks. Still, that gap could widen fast if the Sparks don't find any answers on Wednesday.
"Honestly, I think just working on culture, not even championship culture," Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike said about how the team can get reinvigorated. "Understanding what the standard is, both on an individual level and a collective level. Being pros, going out there and doing what these coaches ask us to do. We have to be disciplined and consistent every single day from the first person to the second (developmental player)."
The Fever have Caitlin Clark, who didn't play in their last match-up, listed as probable while Aliyah Boston is questionable. But Ty Harris (16 points) and Monique Billings (15 points) had big games against the Sparks last game. Clark, Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell will likely get theirs but the Sparks have to stop their supporting cast of Harris, Billings, Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and others.
The Sparks have also had difficulty making the three-ball. In their last six games, the Sparks have shot a dismal 24 percent from behind the arc. Obviously, the team has a lot to work on but the perimeter shot has been a major shortcoming in the last couple of weeks or so.
If the Sparks can stop the bleeding on Wednesday then they can start to erase the stench of the last few games. If not, they will be in a deeper hole and a postseason berth that was expected of them might become more of a dream instead of a reality.
