The Sparks began the season with the mantra “time to point out.” Heart Liz Cambage, coming off an unceremonious cut up with the Australian nationwide crew earlier than the Tokyo Olympics and shifting to her fourth WNBA crew, was credited with pitching the slogan to the advertising and marketing crew and her teammates. With the controversial star gone, the Sparks have rapidly adopted a brand new rallying cry.
“Simply stick collectively,” Nneka Ogwumike mentioned Thursday after the Sparks misplaced 90-80 to the Phoenix Mercury of their first sport since Cambage’s abrupt departure. “It was one other impediment for us to determine how we are able to stick collectively, and that’s actually what it’s all about. That’s form of been our motto this entire season.”
Attempting to beat the ups and downs of a tumultuous season, the Sparks at the moment are attempting to simply preserve tempo in a good postseason race. They hit one other pace bump with Thursday’s loss as they slipped to seventh behind Phoenix (13-16), which jumped from eighth to sixth. The Sparks (12-16) are tied with Dallas for the ultimate two playoff positions, with Atlanta (12-17) solely a half-game out.
If lacking the playoffs for the primary time in additional than a decade after which firing their coach in the midst of the season didn’t sign how dramatically the Sparks had fallen, then Cambage’s “contract divorce” introduced Tuesday undoubtedly will. Past the present playoff push, the franchise faces a significant overhaul this offseason. Derek Fisher’s successor should clear up the previous head coach and common supervisor’s mess that has turned the once-proud franchise into at finest an afterthought and at worst a laughingstock.
The crew’s personal Twitter account tried to make gentle of the state of affairs Thursday, tweeting a graphic of the 54-32 halftime rating and an emoji of a nervous smile.
Whereas Cambage was averaging simply 13 factors — her lowest scoring clip since her rookie season — the Sparks had constructed their offense on scoring within the paint with Ogwumike and Cambage. Going through the brunt of the Mercury’s protection, Ogwumike labored for 15 factors, 11 rebounds and 5 assists on six-of-14 capturing.
Interim head coach Fred Williams hoped the crew may transition extra to a perimeter-oriented offensive sport this week, however that technique took a significant hit with three-point sharpshooter Lexie Brown injuring her ankle after taking part in simply two minutes. She didn’t return, and the Sparks went three-for-21 from three-point vary, together with an 0-for-12 begin.
The Sparks are the second-worst three-point capturing crew within the WNBA, at 33.6%, and take the fewest three-pointers per sport, at 16.6.
When requested whether or not the primary sport with out Cambage revealed any main modifications required for the ultimate eight regular-season video games, Williams made a lighthearted comment.
“Yeah, simply placing the ball within the basket, that’s the drastic change,” Williams mentioned. “Win or lose, it’s a matter of placing the ball within the basket.”
Chennedy Carter carried the offense off the bench with a season-high 23 factors on eight-of-10 capturing. The third-year guard was coming off a 15-point efficiency towards Las Vegas final weekend, her first sport after a knee damage saved her sidelined for 3 weeks.
Carter was one of many Sparks’ intriguing offseason acquisitions after the previous Atlanta guard missed most of final season due to a suspension for unspecified conduct detrimental to the crew. Chemistry points had been a priority, particularly with the flamable Cambage.
However Carter is taking part in with one thing to show.
“Taking part in for the WNBA, it means rather a lot, and truly taking part in for Los Angeles,” the 23-year-old mentioned. “So to be on the market each second, it’s a giant alternative and I by no means need to waste it.”
Amid the dramatic season, Carter credited veteran teammates like Ogwumike for serving to her keep centered on the courtroom and embrace her position of high-energy bench participant.
“I would like y’all to know that we’re going by rather a lot,” Carter mentioned, “however we obtained quite a lot of nice vets, quite a lot of nice leaders who're conserving our circle tight.”
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