LOS ANGELES, CA – Let’s address the elephant in the room. Crossing fingers, wearing lucky shirts, and rubbing a rabbit’s foot will not result in the Los Angeles Sparks securing a playoff spot. It is simply not going to happen.
The Sparks’ 97-71 loss to the third-place Connecticut Sun (23-11) on Tuesday, should be the nail in the coffin the Sparks need to turn their eyes forward and face the issues that will likely plague them next year if they are not addressed now.
The Sparks (13-21) are not using the assets they made sacrifices to attain. In February, the Sparks traded veteran guard Erica Wheeler, to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for the rights to center Li Yueru (who had not yet played in the WNBA), the 15th pick in the 2022 draft, as well as a 2023 first-round pick for Chennedy Carter.
Just before the preseason, the Sparks entered a sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Sky for Lexie Brown and the rights to Yueru.
Brown has only started in 15 of the 32 games she has played this season. She is the second-best three-point shooter behind Chiney Ogwumike, but is still struggling to be the point guard who can not only consistently score, but also set up shots for her teammates. Nonetheless, Brown is getting the necessary time on the floor to determine what her strengths and weaknesses are, and where she will be best suited for the team next season.
Carter is an entirely different story. From injuries to mental health issues, the Chennedy Carter era has been a sporadic and emotional saga.
Before the game against the Chicago Sky on June 23, Carter posted the five signs of depression to her Instagram story. Although she was on the floor during shoot-around, she was escorted to the locker room before tip-off and did not play.
Before June game against the Seattle Storm, Coach Fred Williams said the depression post was not about basketball.
In a Nitecast Media exclusive interview, Carter admitted she was “going through something at that time,” and noted that adjusting to life in LA was taking a toll on her.
Carter returned to the floor on June 27th but played just under nine minutes.
It seemed as though whatever was troubling Carter had passed by the time the Sparks faced the Dream at home on July 21st, as Carter was all smiles before hitting the floor.
That game seemed to serve as a warm-up as Carter would put up double digits in the next three games, including the July 28th game against the Phoenix Mercury, which took place two days after the departure of her friend and mentor Liz Cambage.
What has happened to Carter since then has been a complete mystery. She has been healthy and eligible to play but has not set foot on the court since August 2nd.
When asked why Carter wasn’t active during the 88-86 loss to the Dream, Coach Williams gave a stern “Coach’s decision,” response with no further elaboration. When asked if she would play ahead of Sunday’s game against the Washington Mystics, Williams replied with, “That is a coach’s decision, so I can’t promise you that tonight!”
Before the complete annihilation the Sparks received from the Sun, Williams once again said that Carter would be a coach’s decision. Realizing the cryptic nature of his comments, Williams went on to say, “It’s just something that is just a coach’s decision. And it’s mainly for me, myself personally, and the team. And for Carter.”
A source close to the team said Carter is fine, but she is upset. There are obviously some behind-the-scenes issues, but the question is how will those issues impact the team’s future?
The Sparks have four contracts expiring. Kristi Toliver, Brittney Sykes, Jordin Canada, and Brown are all becoming free agents at the end of the season.
Rae Burrell missed the entire season due to injury, Olivia Nelson-Ododa is still finding her pocket, Katie Lou Samuelson has been a below-average shooter this season, Jasmine Walker is averaging less than eight minutes per game, and seeing Carter on the floor has evolved into the WNBA version of “Where’s Waldo?”
There is no way the Sparks have a clue of who they can be or who they have in their young core that could truly complement Nneka Ogwumike, who will also be a free agent in 2023. The best way to learn that is to let the young core play. In the case of Chennedy Carter, if behind-the-scenes issues are so great that the players and coaches don’t want her on the floor, one way or another it’s time to work out which players need a change of scenery.
