The Los Angeles Sparks found the right kind of rhythm prior to the short WNBA All-Star break, and they will be looking to maintain that when they visit the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.
It will be a rematch of the most recent game for each team. The Sparks blew out visiting Washington 99-80 last Tuesday in the final game for the teams before the hiatus. Three Los Angeles players reached the 20-point mark in the game, led by Dearica Hamby’s 26.
“I think we’re starting to figure it out, and being healthy helps,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said.
Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said he saw room for improvement from his club.
“They exposed a little bit of our weaknesses,” Johnson said. “There are some things I can help our players with to help us play better.”
Defensive breakdowns in the first meeting will need to be addressed, Johnson said. The Mystics (11-11) will aim to get back on track after their three-game winning streak was snapped in Los Angeles.
“They’re a great frontcourt, versatile,” said forward-center Shakira Austin, who led Washington with 16 points against the Sparks. “They were a little more physical. We have to stop being the less physical team.”
The Sparks (8-14) are bracing for a different approach from the Mystics.
“They’re going to come at us differently,” said Kelsey Plum, who leads the Sparks in scoring with 20.1 points per game. “We know that, so just be prepared for that.”
The Sparks are still adjusting under Roberts. She is in her first season on the Los Angeles bench after being hired to replace the fired Curt Miller.
“It’s just time together and in the system and it takes a minute,” Roberts said. “We just got to keep our foot on the gas as a group.”
A key contributor for Los Angeles has been Julie Allemand, who dished out 10 assists last week against Washington. The Sparks were plus-22 with Allemand on the court, even though she scored only three points in 32 minutes.
“That’s hard to do,” Roberts said of the plus-minus ratio. “Her value cannot be unstated.”
Brittney Sykes is Washington’s top scorer at 17.1 points per game, and she was added as an injury replacement for the All-Star Game. Rookie teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen also represented the Mystics at the All-Star Game.
“They’re checking a lot of boxes,” Johnson said of his team. “They’re working. They’re getting better. There’s humility.”
Mystics guard Sug Sutton said the first half of the season was a stretch of getting to know each other.
“We still have another 22 games,” Sutton said. “I think we’ve been doing good, holding each other accountable.”
–Field Level Media
