Someone has to get well on Sunday.
Two struggling teams play in Phoenix when the Mercury and their WNBA-worst 3-14 record host the Los Angeles Sparks and their 7-11 mark.
The difference between the teams, besides 3 1/2 games in the standings, is that Los Angeles has a first-year coach in Curt Miller who has a hall pass for these struggles. His team has been playing without three and four starters at times during their recent skid.
“It doesn’t matter if you have eight players, nine players,” he said. “We’ve got to play hard and try to create the foundation and a culture that we want to rely on years from now.”
That’s why Miller went out of his way to praise his team’s effort after Wednesday night’s 90-79 home loss to Atlanta. The Sparks trailed by 21 at one point in the fourth quarter before closing within 12 at the 5:38 mark.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds to lead Los Angeles; she’s averaging 19.8 points and 9.2 boards.
Meanwhile, Phoenix got off to a slow start in a 75-64 loss Thursday night at Minnesota. The Mercury trailed 23-10 after one quarter and then saw the margin swell to 24 early in the third quarter. That was enough to decide the game.
“We are in a tough position and we are pretty banged up with a couple of different circumstances going on,” said Phoenix interim coach Nikki Blue. “It is going to take patience — play by play, minute by minute, game by game.”
Blue is 1-4 since replacing Vanessa Nygaard, who was fired on June 25 after a blowout loss at Seattle. The Mercury have been without their top three players — Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith — at various points this season.
Despite missing last season due to being jailed in Russia, Griner is averaging 19.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. She will play in next weekend’s All-Star Game.
The Sparks have won both previous meetings between the teams this season, averaging 96.5 points.
–Field Level Media
