Lavender has been welcome addition
Longtime Spark providing big numbers, veteran presence
After spending the last eight seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, forward Jantel Lavender was due for a change of scenery.
The Sparks answered her request for a trade by sending her to the Sky for a 2020 second-round draft pick during the preseason. The move gave the Sparks muchneed cap space and helped bolster the Sky’s frontcourt. But most importantly, it allowed Lavender to feel free again.
“A new journey is exciting, it’s refreshing,” Lavender told the Sun-Times in a phone interview Tuesday after the Sky’s 90-82 loss to the Aces in Las Vegas.
Over the last two seasons with the Sparks, Lavender mainly played off the bench as part of their crowded frontcourt. But she has been thriving with the Sky.
Lavender’s numbers have increased across the board this season. She’s averaging eight points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists, which are all higher than her stats over the last few seasons.
Lavender, who has started 12 of the Sky’s 13 games, attributes her early success to coach James Wade’s belief in her capabilities.
“Having a coach that has confident in me playing is a major deal,” said Lavender, who scored 12 points and had six rebounds in the loss Tuesday. “In L.A., sometimes I was kind of second guessing what I could do as a player, and I think here it’s just all about just kind of making shots. I just kind of have to take my time and knock it down.”
Even when Lavender’s shots aren’t falling, she finds ways to be a consistent contributor every game.
“It’s so important to be versatile because you’re going to have nights where you don’t hit shots,” Lavender said. “You just have to really stay focused and I think that comes with maturity, like knowing that you can still impact the game regardless of putting points on the board, you can set great screens and I think that that’s one of the things I want to put an emphasis on is setting good screens, getting my teammates open, especially if it’s not my night in particular.”
Along with needing a solid power forward, Wade specifically targeted Lavender, a 2016 WNBA champion, because she’s a veteran player who can help groom the younger players.
Guard Allie Quigley called Lavender a leader on and off the court.
“She’s the one who’s always trying to keep everyone connected,” said Quigley, who totaled 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds Tuesday.
Lavender has enjoyed helping the Sky build something new. And she’s optimistic that it’s just a matter of time until the Sky, who went 0-3 on their West Coast road trip, snap out of their funk.
“It’s cool to be a part of a growing culture and try to instill what I kind of know as a veteran player for them,” Lavender said. “I love it, and I think we can be really good, we just got to get to know each other a little more and play with each other a little bit more, and we’ll turn the corner here.”