The Los Angeles Sparks can’t afford any stumbles, and their playoff hopes face another test Monday night when they visit the Seattle Storm.
Los Angeles (18-20) sits two games behind the Indiana Fever for the eighth and final playoff spot with six contests remaining. The Sparks are also 2.5 games back of both the Golden State Valkyries and the Storm (22-19).
Seattle may be without rookie forward Rickea Jackson, who is questionable with a right lower leg injury. Her status looms large for a team that has won five of its past six games and is aiming to solidify postseason positioning.
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The Sparks own a 2-1 edge in the season series and would secure the head-to-head tiebreaker with another win. That possibility was not lost on Los Angeles forward Azura Stevens after Sunday’s 81-78 victory over the Washington Mystics.
“We know what’s at stake, but just trying to break it down to each possession matters,” Stevens said. “Not getting too caught up in we have to win ‘X-amount’ of games. We know the circumstances, but all we can control is the next possession.”
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Los Angeles snapped a two-game skid by edging Washington. Kelsey Plum, quiet most of the night, scored 14 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter to help secure the win.
“I just tried to be patient,” Plum said. “… We’re taking it one game at a time. Seattle is a great team. Everybody at this point of the season is just looking for a win.”
The Storm have been finding them with consistency. They capped a 4-1 road trip by rallying from 21 points down to beat the league-leading Minnesota Lynx 93-79 before topping the Chicago Sky 79-69 on Saturday. Nneka Ogwumike led Seattle with 20 points against Chicago, moving into second on the franchise’s single-season scoring list with 746.
“We want to be able to show that we can bring that momentum — especially with all the tight games we’ve been playing in August — and turn that around into wins,” Ogwumike said. “And creating hopefully what will be a four-game home winning streak going into the playoffs. I think the timing of that is crucial for us.”
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Five other Storm players reached double figures against the Sky, underscoring the team’s balance. But Jackson’s availability could affect their ability to match Los Angeles’ depth, particularly if the Sparks’ frontcourt tandem of Stevens and Dearica Hamby pressures Seattle inside.
The Sparks edged the Storm 108-106 in double overtime in Seattle on Aug. 1, while the teams split two meetings in Los Angeles. Monday’s matchup, the final in the four-game series, could be decisive in the playoff race.
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