5 video games into the 2024 WNBA season, the Los Angeles Sparks have seen nice particular person performances and damaged attendance information, however the outcomes have not been there. They’ve misplaced 4 video games, solely beating the winless Washington Mystics.
Here is an replace on the nice, unhealthy and ugly in Los Angeles.
The great
The Sparks’ lottery picks have been taking part in stupendously. No. 2 choose Cameron Brink completed with a brand new profession excessive of 21 factors towards the Dallas Wings on Sunday, and No. 4 choose Rickea Jackson is averaging 11.3 factors per sport and often leads the bench in scoring.
Los Angeles has a whole lot of work to do to change into a contender, however these two rookies are a part of a vivid future. Watching them play is a pleasure, and the win-loss column outcomes virtually change into irrelevant so long as they get heavy minutes to allow them to develop and develop as quick as attainable.
The unhealthy
Los Angeles has a bench drawback.
Solely Jackson has been constant, and in addition to her, it is slim pickings when it comes to who you possibly can depend on to play effectively for an prolonged time frame. Sparks head coach Curt Miller has begun to get extra liberal along with his minutes, doling out prolonged time to Li Yueru and Zia Cooke in hopes of discovering another constructive contributors. Nevertheless, it is nonetheless an enormous query mark on who, if anybody, will be capable to be a part of Jackson as a constant a part of the bench mob.
Proper now, that backup unit is an island, and at any time when a number of starters sit, the offense falls off a cliff. Within the first sport of the season towards the Atlanta Dream, Miller rested the starters within the fourth, and it value them the sport. They failed to attain for 4 minutes till Kia Nurse returned to the ground. An identical concern occurred towards the Indiana Fever when Brink needed to sit on account of foul bother. The Fever went on a run, and Los Angeles by no means received its offense going within the second half.
If the Sparks are solely going to win video games when their prime 5 gamers are taking part in at their very best, victories will likely be laborious to return by—and this 40-game season will really feel for much longer.
The ugly
Can Miller discover a successful method? This group is younger, inexperienced and lacks depth. The bottom line is discovering eight to 9 gamers who can play at the usual essential to win video games. With solely 5 to 6 gamers taking part in effectively and one win to point out for it, there may be work to be accomplished.
Sure, it is a rebuilding season, and most had the Sparks dropping greater than successful and sure lacking the playoffs. However can they do higher than 1-4? Three of their 4 defeats have been by 5 or fewer factors, so the potential to win is there. Nevertheless, their margin for error is razor-thin, and Miller has to tweak the rotations to seek out sufficient wins to no less than keep within the playoff hunt.
For now, if all you care about is the game-by-game outcomes, 2024 appears no totally different than 2023. It is nonetheless very early, and issues can change, however all who see the nice on this group’s bones must mood their expectations. It appears like this season is part of a marathon in the direction of relevancy, relatively than a dash to a championship run.
