WASHINGTON, DC – While the Los Angeles Sparks four-game winning streak brightened the team’s once dim playoff hopes, their blowout loss to the Washington Mystics was a stark reminder of what happens if you are not ready to play.
(Courtesy of WNBA)
Coming out of the Olympic break, the Sparks (10-14) knew that even with both Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike and a healthy Kristi Toliver re-inserted back into the lineup, their margin for error would be thinner than most of the other teams.
Between this lengthy six-game, East coast road trip, the fact they play the first place Connecticut Sun three times over the next few weeks, and other squads like the Mystics (with a healthy Elena Delle Donne) and the Dallas Wings, vying for those final playoff berths that also own tiebreakers against the Sparks, the task of playing in the postseason will be anything but easy.
However, the Sparks are in this playoff race, because they continue to show grit and heart every night they play, especially on the defensive end. They have been able to grind out those four wins out of the break with a combination of suffocating defense that forces turnovers and timely shot-making from their vets like Nneka and Toliver.
Even in the loss to Washington, they trailed by as many as 37 points but only lost by 10, continuing to display the same fight and determination in the very end of this game as they have shown throughout the entire season.
Head coach/GM Derek Fisher acknowledged that trying to win on the road already shows a thin margin of error.
“I think it was more of a reminder for us the margin for error in any game, but particularly on the road is really small,” Fisher said after the loss in Washington. “You can’t start the game poorly like we did tonight. Washington jumped out, they were the more ready team, the more prepared team and they really took control right out of the gate.”
Sparks forward Nia Coffey, who scored a team-high 15 points in the loss to the Mystics, believes a slow start can derail a team.
“It’s a reminder that we always have to come out strong and be ready to go, especially when we are on the road,” Coffey said.
The Sparks have to shake off this tough loss and be ready to go for a two-game against the number one team in the league in the Sun, who have ended the Sparks’ season the last two years and are once again showing they are legitimate championship contenders.
The margin for error is thin for the Sparks and this lengthy and difficult road trip could ultimately determine whether their playoff hopes can become a reality or just a pipe dream.
