PHOENIX -- The regular season ends on September 11th. It is September 9th and the Los Angeles Sparks are somehow still alive in the playoff hunt.
It'll take some help for a postseason berth for the Sparks (20-22). Before Sunday, they needed to run the table that was three games long and hope that the Seattle Storm (22-21) would lose their remaining game against the Valkyries.
Step 1 was done after the Sparks handily defeated the Wings on Sunday afternoon. Step 2 has arrived. The Sparks face the Mercury (27-15) in Phoenix while that Storm/Valkyries contest occurs around the same time.
Control the controllables. That's all the Sparks can do. The Storm/Valkyries game is out of their hands. What they have to do is focus on the Mercury. Whatever happens happens.
The Sparks are 0-3 against the Merc this year. It's easy to see why; the team in Phoenix has Alyssa Thomas (a triple-double machine), Satou Sabally (a unicorn, as they call her), and Kahleah Copper (former Finals MVP). Mercury also has a nice mix of vets in DeWanna Bonner and Sami Whitcomb and rookies in Kathryn Westbeld and Lexi Held. Whitcomb certainly made a big difference in their last match-up on August 26th when she scored 17 points off the bench.
Three-pointers were the main difference. The Mercury made 11 against the Sparks' seven in that aforementioned last match-up. Phoenix is third in shots attempted behind the arc while Los Angeles allows the second most three-point shots attempted. Sparks did do a good job defending the three against the Wings but the Mercury are a team that's on another level.
"We know that we have to find a way to guard Alyssa Thomas," Sparks guard Julie Allemand said at practice on August 25th. "Because we know that if we're aggressive with her and if she's not feeling good then it's going to be a big difference for the team. Of course, they are all dangerous and it's a good team. So it will not be easy but we know that we have to be aggressive with that kind of team."
Thomas did everything against the Sparks in Los Angeles as she got a triple-double (12-16-15). It's no secret that the Sparks defense can be very porous so they'll have to find a way to limit Thomas with everything on the line.
Rickea Jackson is probable for Tuesday; remember that she hurt her leg against the same Mercury team but she hasn't missed any action. Kelsey Plum is questionable, though, with a left foot injury. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts noted that both Jackson and Plum were banged up last game and was glad she didn't have to bring either player back in the fourth quarter. Still, unless the pain is too great, it's hard to see both players miss this game with the season hanging in the balance.
This is all for naught if the Storm win their game on Tuesday. Nevertheless, to give themselves a chance, the Sparks have to win this game.
Otherwise, Thursday will be the last game of the season for Los Angeles.