The Sparks are in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season, dropping their last six games on the road, albiet to playoff-caliber teams.
However, the Sparks (4-13) will have an opportunity to get back into the win column when they conclude their seven-game stretch away from home against the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night.
The Sparks are 0-1 against the Mercury this season after suffering an 87-68 loss in Phoenix on June 2. Guard Diana Taurasi scored 31 points against the Sparks, going 7 for 9 from 3-point range. Sparks forward Dearica Hamby scored a team-high 23 points in the blowout loss, which was cemented by the Sparks only scoring seven points in the second quarter.
Hamby, who was recently named to the U.S. Olympic 3×3 team as an injury replacement for Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink, is averaging 17.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, and is vying for the third All-Star berth of her 10-year WNBA career. She is the only Sparks player currently averaging more than 10 points per game. Rookie forward Rickea Jackson is the team’s second-leading scorer at 9.8 points per game.
The struggling Sparks have not won a game since a promising 96-92 win at home against the Las Vegas Aces on June 9. Since leaving Los Angeles, the Sparks have lost by 16 points to the Seattle Storm (June 11), five points to the Minnesota Lynx (June 14), 13 points to the Atlanta Dream (June 16), nine points to the Connecticut Sun (June 18) and by a combined 23 points in back-to-back games against the New York Liberty (June 20, 22).
All six losses were against teams that would make the playoffs (the top eight qualify in the 12-team league), if the season ended on June 26.
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The Sparks were able to make it back home in between road games for a brief respite and regroup this week, including an off day on Tuesday, and a rare practice at El Camino College in Torrance on Wednesday.
The Sparks have played the last two games without Brink, who suffered a season-ending torn left ACL against Connecticut on June 18. Second-year center Li Yueru has started two games in Brink’s place. Yueru recorded three points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in her first start and eight points, three rebounds, one assist in her second start. Both games were against the Liberty.
After Friday night’s game, the Sparks will have a four-game homestand against Washington (July 2), Las Vegas (July 5), Phoenix (July 7) and Minnesota (July 9).
SPARKS (4-13) AT PHOENIX (8-8)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
TV: ION