The streak ends at eight. The New York Liberty had a chance to push their winning streak to nine straight games on Friday night, but let an eight point lead in the final minutes slip away and the Washington Mystics took full advantage. It’s like that sometimes.
The opponent tonight is trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time in a while. The Los Angeles Sparks have been off for the past few days after losing at home to the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday evening.
Where to follow the game
ESPN is the place to be. Tip
after 8 PM.
Injuries
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is back.
Cameron Brink is out.
The game
So here’s something interesting. This year, the WNBA introduced developmental roster spots. Each team has two of those spots and players on developmental deals can appear in up to 12 games. Opposing teams can make offers for players on development deals, and that’s what the Sparks did when they signed Kiana Williams away from the Phoenix Mercury. They also picked up Kate Martin from the Golden State Valkyries on a development deal as well. Williams has played in eight games as a dev player and Martin 10. The Sparks have to figure out their roster going forward and how much of a role those two will have on it.
Tonight is the start of a four game Western road trip for the Liberty that will take them to: Los Angeles —> Las Vegas —> Seattle —> San Francisco. It’ll be a great test for this group and I’m excited to see what they have in store.
First thing Chris DeMarco will have to do is figure out how to utilize Satou Sabally. Sabally is getting more comfortable and has given great minutes over the past few weeks. Sabally’s size, toughness, and all around skill serves this team well and everything she brings to the team is worth its weight in gold.
“She comes in with confidence every night,” Jonquel Jones said. She does really well for us. Right now she’s coming off the bench and I think she’s helping to ignite us in that type of way. If we can start strong, she boosts us even more. When we’re down and not starting that strong, she’s coming in and still lifting us up. I think her confidence, her mindset coming on the court every game, I think it’s great for us as a team and I think it’s going to continue to get better as she gets more comfortable.“
She’s only crossed the 20 minute mark twice this season, and it’s fair to ask when she will do so. Satou is getting stronger by the game and gives the team a much needed boost when she’s on the court.
Thankfully for Los Angeles, they’re no longer the worst defense in WNBA history. They’re only the second worst defense in the league this season, and hopefully they are starting to turn things around. Kelsey Plum certainly hopes so
She’s got a point.
Plum has been out for the past few games with an ankle injury, and her return comes at the right time. Plum is second in the league in scoring at 25 points per game and is shooting a career best 54 percent from the field. Plum and the Liberty have engaged in many a battle over the years so you know both sides will be jazzed up for this one.
Sabrina Ionescu is working her way back to full strength. The shooting percentages aren’t there yet, but that will come with time and solid reps on the court. It’ll be interesting to see how DeMarco continues to utilize Pauline Astier. Astier played a season low ten minutes on Friday, and she’s earned a solid role going forward. It’s a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.
Player to watch: Nneka Ogwumike
Get riled up for the reunion. Ogwumike returned to the Sparks after two seasons with the Seattle Storm. Ogwumike has shot above 50 percent from the field in every season of her career and has consistently been a steadying force on the court. She can score from anywhere on the court and is one of the league leaders in rebounding. It’s been a long time since the Sparks made the postseason, and as we celebrate the WNBA’s 30th season, one of its original franchises need to get things back in order soon.
The duo of Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart will look to keep Ogwumike in check. They’re both top ten in rebounding and do everything at a high level. If they can keep Ogwumike off the glass, they can create scoring opportunities in transition and put pressure on that porous Sparks defense. LA has been in a bit of a rut, and if the Liberty start strong, they can keep them down for the count.
From the Vault
29 years ago today, history was made and the WNBA was born
More reading: Silver Screen and Roll, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, Newsday, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, The Stomp, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The IX Basketball
- New York Liberty Game Notes – New York Liberty
- Los Angeles Sparks Game Notes – Los Angeles Sparks
