The Los Angeles Sparks would just like to put together consecutive solid games.
The Sparks are halfway to that modest goal as they enter Friday night’s home contest against the Chicago Sky.
The Sparks (9-11) had lost three straight games and five of six before notching a 106-92 home victory over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday.
“People were tired of how we were losing,” 11-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike said afterward. “Not just losing but how we were losing.”
Ogwumike wasn’t kidding. The losses during the stretch were by 20, 16, 28, 24 and 18 points.
The most recent loss, an 82-64 home defeat on Monday to the Seattle Storm, was particularly galling to Sparks coach Lynne Roberts.
“The response that we showed from just laying an egg on Monday to coming back (was pleasing),” Roberts said. ” … I’m obviously thrilled that we won, but I’m more happy with how we played.”
Star guard Kelsey Plum (lower left leg) remains out, but all five Los Angeles starters delivered double digits in the win. Ogwumike scored 24 points, Rae Burrell added 22 and Dearica Hamby contributed 21.
“That’s how we want to play,” Roberts said. “The ball movement was much, much better. … There was a different energy and connectedness on offense, and the result of that is balanced scoring.”
Chicago (7-14) is fresh off a 77-66 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday. It was the team’s third victory in five games after losing the previous six games.
It also came with veteran guard Skylar Diggins sidelined with a right knee injury. The ailment emerged one day after Diggins said on social media that she was demoted and would be coming off the bench.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh said the rotation change was due to slow starts and the search for improved chemistry. The return of veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot from an ACL injury also may have played a part.
“It just seems like a basketball decision,” the fiery Diggins, listed as out for the Sparks game, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “When I came here, I was told I was going to hold it down until Slooty got back, so I still don’t have very much clarity on that. If it was something different outside of that, I have to defer to him.”
Vandersloot is averaging 8.3 points, 4.8 assists and 16.5 minutes in four games.
Sydney Taylor led Chicago with 16 points in the win over Phoenix.
–Field Level Media
