The Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury face off on Friday in a WNBA basketball showdown at the Los Angeles Convention Center. These two teams just faced off on Wednesday and it was the Sparks that were able to win 85-80.
The Sparks used a balanced attack with five different players scoring in double figures. For the Mercury, they were led by Brittney Griner who put up 30 points and 10 rebounds.
The Los Angeles Sparks come into this game with a 5-5 record overall which puts them in 3rd place in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Sparks had lost two games in a row before winning the last game against the Phoenix Mercury. The offense for this team has been inconsistent, and it’s going to need to be better in this game. On the season the Sparks are averaging 75.3 points per game while their defense is giving up 78.5 points per game. One issue for this team is they are dealing with issues including to Nneka Ogwumike. The top player available for this game is Eric Wheeler who is averaging 11.6 points while shooting 38.5 percent from the field.
On the other side of this matchup is the Phoenix Mercury who sit with a 5-7 record overall which puts them in fifth place in the Western Conference. Diana Taurasi is still dealing with a fractured sternum and she won’t play in this game. Coming into this game, the Mercury have lost four games in a row and their defense has been a big issue. In each of the last two games, the Mercury has given up 85 points. On the season, Phoenix is averaging 78.8 points while their defense is giving up 81.2 points per game. Brittney Griner has been the star for Phoenix averaging 20.1 points while shooting 57.9 percent from the field.
The Mercury lost the first game, but I think they are going to get some revenge in this game. Look for others around Grinner to step up, and the Mercury will cover the spread in this one.