INDIANAPOLIS -- The Sparks are sliding quite a bit at the moment. They have a 4-11 record and are on a four-game losing streak. It doesn’t get any easier even if their opposing team doesn’t have their superstar. They draw the Fever in Indiana (7-7).
And when talking about the Fever, it’s hard to ignore the mammoth in the room, Caitlin Clark. But she’s out for this game due to a left groin injury.
Still, the Fever have two more all-stars in Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Boston has become a pick-and-roll threat and continues to be dominant in the paint. She scored a career-high 31 in their win against the Storm. And Mitchell (17.9 points per game) is a sniper and a crafty cutter.
The Fever have good back-up in players such as Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and Natasha Howard. Hull has been on fire from three (.553 from behind the arc!). Cunningham is a known irritant. And Howard has done it all from winning multiple awards (2018 Most Improved and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year) to being a three-time WNBA champion (2017 with the Lynx and 2018 and 2020 with the Storm). Damiris Dantas is another good player for them but she’s stepping away due to the upcoming Americup as she represents the Brazilian national team.
The signing of veteran DeWanna Bonner didn’t work out but the Sparks will see an old friend in guard Aari McDonald. She filled in for them when Clark was out and now she is with them the rest of the season. She and Sydney Colson are going to try the run the show for the Fever. They’re going to miss Clark’s dynamic passing (Clark averages 8.9 assists per game).
As for the Sparks, they’re trying to avoid a winless midwest trip. The fourth quarter was the undoing for both games. They kept it close against the Lynx before Kayla McBride lowered the boom. Then against the Sky, they couldn’t stop Kamilla Cardoso.
What is up with the offensive struggles late in the game?
“I think there's a few things. One, I think we're not getting stops,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after Tuesday’s loss against Chicago. “I mean, we gave up 30 points (in the fourth). That puts so much pressure on our offense to make shots, which we gotta be able (to do) to get stops in the fourth. Same thing against Minnesota. I think offensively, we got away from what was working. Just too much one-on-one. We had a big lead, and it wasn't from going one-on-one. So we've got to fix that and have some trust in the system and in each other and make sure we're getting great shots.”
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby agreed.
“I don't think anybody has ill intention, but just trying to play hero ball, and obviously, people have had success at it at certain points,” Hamby said. “We gotta be more mentally tough to continue to play through that and continue to like Coach said, do the things that were working in the first half and not resort to one-on-one ball. And, I mean, quite honestly, we gotta shoot better. We can't have our starting five, at times go, and it's not just this game, but continue to shoot not efficient shots.”
It’s been repeated over and over this season but the Sparks have to put together 40 minutes. When leading, they can’t go away from what got them there. And of course, it’s always an uphill climb when they get behind by double digits. They’ve said it: they have to stick with the game plan and keep everyone involved.
And that also means taking care of the ball. The Sparks have averaged 20 turnovers in their last four games. They have to clean that up against an opportunistic team like the Fever.
If the shorthanded Sparks can finally put it all together, they can turn the Fever into 98 Degrees. Might be the hardest thing they’ll have to do this week.
