Sparks look to keep up hot shooting in Vegas
LOS ANGELES >> The Sparks are looking to take their hot shooting on the road to Las Vegas and earn an important win in their push for WNBA playoff positioning. The Sparks are currently the sixth seed out of eight playoff teams, with 10 games remaining in the regular season.
The Sparks, who shot 53.1% from the field and 54.5% from three-point range in their 85-78 win at home against the Atlanta Dream, will take a twogame winning streak into tonight’s 7 p.m. road game against the Las Vegas Aces.
The Sparks (12-14) are 0-3 against the Aces this season. The Aces (19-8) have been by All-Stars Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson, who are both averaging nearly 20 points per game.
However, Sparks All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike is on a scoring tear lately. She scored 35 points against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday and 20 points against the Dream on Thursday.
“Even though we’re 0-3 (against the Aces), we can still win just like Atlanta did,” Sparks guard Brittney Sykes said. “For us, even if they’re at the top, we still have to get these wins because it puts us at an even better place for playoffs.”
The Sparks have progressively improved against the Aces this season. They lost by 28 points in Las Vegas on May 23, and by 17 points in Los Angeles on June 11,
then by six points in L.A. on June 27.
“We have to keep doing what we have,” Sparks center Liz Cambage said after Thursday’s win against the Dream.
Cambage, who signed with the Sparks from the Aces in the offseason, played limited minutes against the Dream after missing two games after testing positive for COVID-19.
The 6-foot-9 center says she is still working herself back into game shape, but she recorded eight points and five rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.
Meanwhile, Sparks interim head coach Fred Williams believes recent shooting success and new X’s and O’s can translate to W’s.
“The good thing for us is that we shot the ball well,” Williams said. “We can still shoot it better, but coaches are always going to say that.”
Williams said limiting fast breaks with solid transition defense, and holding the Aces under their leagueleading scoring average of 90.7 points a game, will be among the keys to success.
“Going in there with Vegas, you have to do all of those things correctly and do them right because they’re such a tough team at home and you have to have a lot of energy and poise against the Vegas team,” Williams continued. “You definitely have to shoot well on their home floor.”