Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury in search of successful contact
Mechelle VoepelespnW.com
CloseMechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, ladies’s faculty basketball, and different faculty sports activities for espnW. Voepel started masking ladies’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
We’re a few month into the WNBA season. And Phoenix, the workforce we picked to win the championship, simply ended a three-game dropping streak Sunday to maneuver to Three-5. The Mercury are nearer to the underside of the WNBA standings than the highest.
However we knew Phoenix probably can be taking part in the lengthy sport this season, with Diana Taurasi nonetheless out after again surgical procedure. Projecting Phoenix to win all of it was primarily based on how we expect the Mercury shall be taking part in by the postseason.
At this level, Phoenix continues to be making an attempt to determine issues out. Possibly a few of that occurred with the Mercury’s 82-72 victory Sunday over Los Angeles. The Sparks, in the meantime, are Four-6 and appear to have extra issues than the Mercury.
Connecticut — regardless of its loss Sunday to upwardly trending Chicago — and Washington are the largest buzz within the WNBA proper now; the Solar and Mystics meet Saturday (ESPN, 2 p.m. ET). However a number of the largest questions across the league encompass two franchises that every have gained three titles: Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Each began the season with out injured stars. Taurasi is near returning, whereas Candace Parker (hamstring) got here again final week. However it may take just a few extra video games earlier than she’s again at her customary, or one thing close to that, once more.
In Parker’s season debut final Tuesday in Los Angeles, Washington’s effortless-looking chemistry stood in distinction to the Sparks’ disarray. Parker had three factors in an 81-52 defeat, after which scored two in a subsequent 84-62 loss at Seattle on Friday, going 1-of-9 from the sphere in each video games.
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Sunday towards the Mercury, she regarded extra like herself, ending with 12 factors and 11 rebounds, however was nonetheless Three-of-10 from the sphere. Parker’s rustiness is comprehensible, and appears more likely to treatment itself over the following few video games. However will that sort things for the Sparks?
That is a extra sophisticated query, as a result of Los Angeles has had a number of points throughout this four-game skid. The Sparks’ protection is one clear bother space. New coach Derek Fisher has stated all alongside his emphasis on better particular person defensive duty was going to take time for the Sparks to regulate to. Additionally they did not have defensive stalwart Alana Beard (leg damage) for seven video games; she returned Friday towards the Storm.
Nonetheless, the Sparks need to cringe at their protection the previous week, beginning with a 98-92 loss at house to New York through which they could not cease the Liberty on the block (heart Amanda Zahui B had 37 factors) or on penetration (guard Kia Nurse scored 26, 15 on free throws). The Sparks no less than stored tempo offensively with the Liberty, which wasn’t the case towards the Mystics or Storm.
Theoretically, Los Angeles might have good chemistry this season, as soon as Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike totally readjust to taking part in collectively, Parker rounds into type, Maria Vadeeva returns from Europe, and the guard corps solidifies. And as soon as the Sparks actually get used to Fisher, and vice versa.
“He has a number of expertise that we’re studying a number of about,” Nneka Ogwumike stated. “It is basketball, however he is coming from a unique world, and he is sort of entered into our world. And now we’re simply looking for the area that we coexist.
“I believe that he is studying from us, and finally, it is going to be actually nice after we actually work out that cohesiveness.”
Level guard Leilani Mitchell helped Phoenix finish a three-game dropping streak with a win over Los Angeles on Sunday. Michael Gonzales/NBAE through Getty Photos
However loads is on the shoulders of level guard Chelsea Grey, who has the flexibility and expertise to make this work. That does not imply will probably be straightforward, or that the Sparks do not have extra tough patches forward of them. They’ll attempt to get again on monitor at house this week, as they host Las Vegas on Thursday and Chicago on Sunday.
Talking of level guards, the Mercury had veteran Leilani Mitchell again in a beginning function Sunday, and that made a distinction. She led Phoenix with 22 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists. Mitchell was lower for salary-cap causes to start the season, then was re-signed. She has performed six of Phoenix’s eight video games, however Sunday’s was her greatest to this point in 2019.
“She managed the tempo of the sport,” Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello stated of Mitchell. “She understands every thing I need to run. I simply stated, ‘Lead the workforce.'”
With the Mercury coping with accidents and a bench with youth that is not producing a lot but, Brondello has been coping with some apparent frustrations. However there’s a while to each heal additional and apply extra this week, because the Mercury do not play till internet hosting Indiana on Friday. Taurasi may be again by then, however Phoenix additionally wants the sort of effort proven Sunday to be current on a regular basis.
“We now have to construct on that. Let’s be blissful, however we’re nonetheless Three-5,” Brondello stated. “We now have to ensure we get some consistency again, however that was an excellent begin. If we are able to hold doing that, we shall be OK.”