PHOENIX, AZ – The narrative around the nationally televised defeat the Los Angeles Sparks (12-14) received from the Phoenix Mercury (13-16) will be this is the impact of losing Liz Cambage. It is not!
Sure, one could argue Cambage would have prevented some of the points in the paint, and she would have provided a few more rebounds that could have potentially lead to more points. That is a fair assessment; however, Cambage wasn’t leading the Sparks in rebounding. Nneka Ogwumike is. In fact, the only category Cambage was leading in was blocks.
As far as defending the paint, that is a solid maybe, but given how slow Cambage moves on the court, it’s likely the game would have moved too fast for her.
In all likelihood, the Sparks would have lost to the Mercury even with Cambage. It may be hard to see right now, especially to Sparks fans, but the team is actually in the best place they could be in right now.
This season has been all about Cambage; all about making her feel comfortable and all about feeding her the ball. There is no “I” in team, but there is an “M.E.” and that seemed to be the primary focus for Cambage. With her gone, the Sparks can focus on who they are at this moment, and who they want to be going forward.
There are some bright spots the Sparks can build on like Chennedy Carter for example. Carter has been open about how Cambage was the vet she really needed to grow. Yet with her departure, Carter seems to be elevating just fine.
In her first game without her mentor, Carter led the Sparks with 23 points and one steal. And she did so with a smile on her face—something we have not seen from her in a while.
Rookie Olivia Nelson-Ododa received the most minutes in her rookie season. Although she had some highs and lows, she never backed down and stayed aggressive. Given her commitment to improving, she could blossom into the big the team needs.
There are lingering questions. Who is going to play point? Ogwumike has praised Kristi Toliver for putting the rest of the starters in the best position to score however, Toliver also had several costly turnovers.
What about Jordin Canada? With so many different rotations and starting lineups, could it be some of her struggles at the point guard position are from a lack of consistency?
While fans are hoping for a playoff run, the truth is the Sparks have to look ahead to next season and moves must be made to build around Ogwumike. It must start with a head coach who is willing to not only build around Ogwumike, but correct the mistakes from the past and build a solid culture.
It’s not an easy task; and for the rest of this season Sparks’ president of basketball operations Vanessa Shay should take notes, sit down with interim head coach Fred Williams and assistant coach Seimone Augustus and start planning for next season.
