What a difference a day makes. On Saturday the Los Angeles Sparks were in third place in the Western Conference of the WNBA and they thought they would be opening the playoffs this week against the second place Minnesota Lynx. On Sunday San Antonio knocked the Sparks out of third when they won their third straight game to drop the Sparks into fourth place and right into the jaws of the biggest shark in the league: the Phoenix Mercury.
The Sparks will travel to Phoenix Friday for a 6 p.m. game and they play at the Staples Center for their only home game of the series on Sunday at 6 p.m. If they win one of their first two games they will face a winner take all final game in Phoenix next week.
Phoenix (29-5) is by far the best team in the WNBA and they have the best player in the league in 10-year-veteran Diana Taurasi. The good news is that the Sparks (16-18) are not intimidated. They have enough talent to upset the Mercury but their inconsistent play this season has everyone trying to figure out which Sparks team will show up for the playoffs.
“Against Phoenix we have to play hard every minute of the game,” said Sparks head coach Penny Toler last week at Staples Center. “You have to come to the arena and bring your best game every night. You have to bring your A game. I always tell the team that your opponent is yourself.”’
If the Sparks play their best games in the three game playoff series they have a chance to advance to the western conference finals. On paper the Sparks have a very good team but games are played on the court, not on paper. Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike are having outstanding seasons and Jantel Lavender has been a pleasant surprise at the center position but the guard play has been very inconsistent.
If the Sparks expect to upset the Mercury, Kristi Toliver, Alana Beard, Amintie Herrington, Lindsey Harding and Candice Wiggins have to be more consistent shooting the ball and playing defense on Taurasi.
“When our backs are against the wall we have responded, but at the same time we have to be more consistent,” Toler said. “We are playing good basketball right now and when the playoffs start it’s going to be a new season.”
The Sparks won three out of their last four games of the regular season but that one loss was to Phoenix. Phoenix will also feature 6’-8” center Brittney Griner, one of the few women in the world who can dunk a basketball.
Parker thinks the Sparks are peaking at the right time.
“In the past we have peaked early in the season and by the time the playoffs started we were not playing very well,” Parker said. “This season we are playing better at the end of the year so I hope that creates a positive situation for us.”
