July 22, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) puts the ball on the field during the second half at College Park Center against the Dallas WingsPhoto: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Sparks will look to bolster their playoff position Sunday afternoon when they attend the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
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While the Sun (23-11) are third overall and already secured a place in the playoffs, the Sparks (15-18) are a few spots down but are among eight teams currently playing for the off-season are planned.
Connecticut is managed by Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner.
Thomas recorded her 24th double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 assists in a 95-90 overtime loss to New York on Thursday. Bonner had 30 points and 12 rebounds to rank seventh all-time on the WNBA scoring list with Sue Bird (6,803 points).
Thomas and Bonner’s contributions did not go unnoticed by Sun trainer Stephanie White.
“I think because of our leadership especially with these two, our versatility and the characters that surround them, we’re a scary team,” White told ESPN.com. “No one wants to play us and we still have a way to the championship ahead of us. It’s a different path than we expected. But we still have a chance ahead of us.”
While Connecticut has lost four of their last six games, Los Angeles is one of the hottest teams in the league, with wins in each of their last six competitions.
Nneka Ogwumike recorded her 100th career double-double on Friday, amassing 29 points and 12 rebounds and leading the Sparks to an 83-78 win over the Atlanta Dream.
Los Angeles is in the hunt for the playoffs despite struggling with injuries all year. Lexie Brown is out with an unspecified non-COVID illness, Chiney Ogwumike is expected to be out for at least another month with a sore foot and Nia Clouden is out with a knee injury.
“The injuries left us a lot with our backs against the wall and weighing us down and numbing us through the mud. They’ve forced us time and again this season to put ourselves through our paces and see just how willing we are to get back up and keep fighting,” said guard Layshia Clarendon.
—Field-level media
Source : deadspin.com