Los Angeles Sparks vs. Phoenix Mercury
June 5, 2022 6:00 pm EDT
The Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks face off on Sunday in a WNBA showdown at the Footprint Center. When these two teams faced off on May 25th it was the Sparks that secured the 99-94 victory.
The Mercury comes into this game with a 2-8 record overall, and they still don’t have Brittney Griner, which is a big loss for this team. In the last game against the Connecticut Sun, the offense scored 88 points, but their defense gave up 92 points, and that led to the four-point defeat. Phoenix is averaging 79.8 points, while their defense is giving up 87.2 points per game. The offense is ranked 7th in the league, while their defense is ranked 10th. Skylar Diggins-Smith has been the top player for Phoenix, averaging 17.1 points while shooting 43.2 percent from the field.
On the other side of this matchup is the Los Angeles Sparks, who sit with a 5-6 record overall, but they are coming off a big win in their last game. In the last game against the Dallas Wings, the Sparks scored 93 points. The Sparks were outscored 26-20 in the 4th quarter, but still held on for the two-point victory. The Sparks are averaging 84.8 points, while their defense is giving up 87.7 points per game. The offense is ranked 3rd in the league, while their defense is ranked 11th. Going forward, if the Sparks want to find success, they are going to need the defense to be a lot better. Nneka Ogwumike has been the top player for the Sparks, averaging 17.9 points while shooting 58.6 percent from the field.
The Sparks have found success against bad teams this season, and it will be no different in this game. The Mercury are giving up 87.2 points per game, and in the last game against the Sparks they gave up 99 points. The Sparks offense will be too much here, as they secure a cover of the spread.
