The Los Angeles Sparks are still focused on their future goals. They had hoped to make it back to the WNBA playoffs this year for the first time since 2020, but they’ll have to try again next season.
With a record of 7-30, the Sparks have been ruled out of playoff contention. They will go into their game at Seattle on Sunday after losing to the Storm 90-82 at home on Wednesday.
“We wish we could get some wins but we are improving,” said forward-center Azurá Stevens. “We’re concentrating on the things we can control, and those are the things you need to work on before the wins start coming.”
The Sparks, who have won three WNBA championships, including back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003, were focusing on rebuilding this season with new general manager Raegan Pebley.
She was brought on board in January after a long coaching career in Division I women’s basketball.
However, the team has faced a series of injuries. The most significant was when rookie Cameron Brink tore her ACL in mid-June, ending her season. Brink, the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft, had been averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in her first 15 games.
Lexie Brown is sidelined due to Crohn’s disease, and Layshia Clarendon has been away from the team for mental health reasons. Stevens missed the start of the season after recovering from left arm surgery, but last month, she was given a one-year contract extension through 2025.
Dearica Hamby leads the team in scoring (16.9 points per game) and rebounding (9.2), despite filing a lawsuit last month against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, alleging mistreatment related to her pregnancy.
