Sparks defeat Nigeria in wire-to-wire preseason win

SAN DIEGO -- The Sparks are off to a great start on the court.

They played the Nigerian national team in Viejas Arena where San Diego State plays basketball. Sparks got off to a 12-0 start and while Nigeria got close in the second quarter, they never trailed in this game as they ran away with the game, 89-63.

The new players looked great. Ariel Atkins was smooth and made all three of her shots in the first quarter. Erica Wheeler set up her teammates nicely. But it was one of the returning Sparks that stood out defensively as Cameron Brink was all over the floor, bothering the Nigerian players with her length.

"Cam had two blocks that felt like about nine the way she did them, right?" Coach Lynne Roberts beamed. "And that's the confidence that she brings. Erica Wheeler on the bench said, 'Man, that's nice to have back there.' And it's true. She's got unbelievable timing and feel for when to do it. I thought she was fantastic in that just kind of defensive rim protection from that weak side. She's just the best in the league at it, I say. So defensively, we're getting there. We're improved from last year already. Just got to continue to stack days with that."

When asked about defensive coverages, Brink gave credit to Nneka Ogwumike, who did not play in this game but was certainly talking to them during the game.

"She's just such a steady leader, and she's so smart, so well-spoken," Brink said of her fellow Stanford alum. "And she just has everyone's best interests at heart. Whatever she says, I'm trying to be a sponge, just soaking it in. And she doesn't need to pour in as much as she does but she truly cares about everybody. We're obviously led by Lynne and Lynne's the best but we're also very player-led with (Kelsey Plum) and everybody and Nneka. So it's a really great dynamic."

While the players with experience did their thing, rookies Ta'Niya Latson and Chance Gray had strong games and showed why the Sparks drafted them in the second round.

"Ta'Niya looked a little deer in the headlights the first half, which is understandable, and that's why you play these games," Coach Roberts said. "But, man, she looked much more under control, confident in the second half. She has the ability to put pressure on the rim with her downhill speed. And so just as she continues to play and learn the reads, I think the ceiling's really high for her. And she bounced back from just kind of a little bit of a rattled first half. I also thought that's why I wanted to play her with the first group, see how she could do with some other vets around her. I think that helped her get going a little bit."

As for Gray?

"Chance is great," Roberts said. "I love her mentality. Didn't play at all in the third quarter. Comes in and just bangs out a few threes. She's also very smart defensively. Tell her something once, and she fixes it. So I was pleased with her. Those guys coming in, and, of course, they're nervous and anxious the first game. But I love the mental toughness from both of them."

Everyone that got on the court played well for the Sparks. Each player had their moment in the sun and some of them even looked like they were in midseason form. Of course, there's always improvement but the way they looked on both ends of the court looked encouraging, even if they were expected to win against Nigeria.

Plum continued her hot streak from Unrivaled and the FIBA qualifiers with 22 points. Gray made four threes on her way to 14. Brink ended with 10 points but she also had two blocks and two steals as she left an imprint defensively. Ta'Niya Latson had a great all-around performance with seven points, five rebounds, and six assists. 

As mentioned, Ogwumike didn't play. Rae Burrell also did not play due to an ankle injury but the team expects her to be ready for the next preseason game.

And that will happen on May 3rd in Portland against the Fire. Then the real thing starts on May 10th.

But for now, good vibes all around this new-look Sparks team.