PHOENIX -- The Sparks are 1-1 coming into their game on Wednesday against the Mercury in Arizona. The record isn’t the worst thing but a familiar enemy is back to torment the Sparks.
Injuries.
On Sunday, the team headed into their game against the Lynx with nine active players. Then at the end of the third quarter, Rickea Jackson collided with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith. A visibly frustrated Jackson went to the bench but never returned to the contest.
No news seemed like good news. Until it was revealed that Jackson is not with the team due to concussion protocol.
With that in mind, the Sparks signed Liatu King back on the team on a hardship deal. And better news: guard Julie Allemand is listed as probable so she might play in this game for her first official game as a Los Angeles Spark.
In the meantime, the Phoenix Mercury aren’t even recognizable anymore.
Basketball legend Diana Taurasi decided to hang ‘em up after last season. Brittney Griner has moved on to the Atlanta Dream. Sophie Cunningham got dealt to the Indiana Fever. Natasha Cloud was also unceremoniously shipped away and now she’s with the New York Liberty. Only Kahleah Copper is left from their most-used starting line-up and she’s not even playing because she’s out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery.
In fact, only two players are left from last season’s squad. Natasha Mack is the other leftover from 2024. And she has a back ailment that will keep her out for a couple of weeks.
So this is really a brand new team in Phoenix. As in, everyone in the current active roster is new to the team.
But that doesn’t mean they’re slouches. Alyssa Thomas, traded from Connecticut to Phoenix, is a perennial MVP candidate. She is immovable, grabs all the boards, and one of the best playmakers there is in basketball. Satou Sabally came from the Dallas Wings. She missed most of last season but came back strong in their opener with 27 points. They also have veterans Kalani Brown, who gives size, and Sami Whitcomb, who gives perimeter shooting.
They also have rookies galore. Lexi Held from Kentucky scored 11 points for them in their first game. Kathryn Westbeld (yes, Maddy Westbeld’s older sister) from Notre Dame started and had nine. Monique Akoa-Makani, who hails from Cameroon and played in France, also started for them.
This mishmash of players all got together and surprisingly dominated the Seattle Storm last Saturday. Thomas and Sabally are great. But can this mix hold up against the Sparks, who themselves are held up by duct tape?
Kelsey Plum had a tougher time with the Lynx compared to her scoring bonanza against the Valkyries. But she still scored 18 points; she can still get hers, regardless. Dearica Hamby has had two double-doubles while Azura Stevens has had an excellent start to the season. The team is gonna miss Rickea Jackson’s production but this is where players like Odyssey Sims, Sarah Ashlee Barker, and maybe even Sania Feagin can pick up the slack.
The Sparks’ calling card thus far is stopping teams in the paint; can they do that to the Mercury? Will the Sparks’ surprising advantage of continuity help them? Where can they get their scoring outside of Plum, Hamby, and Stevens?
Do all the right things and they can be above .500 before their three-game home stand.