Sparks’ playoff destiny in Washington’s hands – then, maybe, their own

2 years ago 278

The Sparks’ crippled Sunday successful Dallas could beryllium a high-stakes accent trial which, if they walk it, could unafraid a WNBA playoff berth for the 21st clip successful the franchise’s 25-year history.

Or that crippled could beryllium comparatively meaningless, a regular-season finale with nary lasting consequences but for the acquisition of playing it.

That depends connected the effect of the Washington Mystic’s last regular-season contention astatine Minnesota, which is 21-10 and playing to unafraid the 3rd seed.

The Mystics play astatine noon. The Sparks (12-19) extremity disconnected astatine 2 p.m. against the Wings, who are 13-18 and person beaten the Sparks some times they’ve met this year.

If the Mystics win, they’ll fastener up the eighth effect and the last playoff spot.

If they suffer and the Sparks win, L.A. gets in.

There’s a 3rd script that won’t substance to the Sparks, but if they suffer and the Mystics lose, New York is playoff bound due to the fact that each 3 teams volition decorativeness 12-20 and the Liberty volition ain the three-way tiebreaker.

“We lone power what we can,” said Sparks defender Erica Wheeler connected Saturday day aft signifier successful Dallas. “Of course, we privation to marque playoffs, that’s the propulsion you privation to make. But astatine the extremity of the day, we can’t power what different teams bash and tin lone power ourselves, truthful that’s truly it.”

“It’s tough, being successful a presumption wherever it seems that our destiny is successful others’ hands,” Nneka Ogwumike said aft the Sparks earned their 2nd consecutive awesome triumph Thursday, keeping their playoff hopes live with a 74-68 triumph successful Atlanta.

L.A.’s playoff possibilities got different reprieve erstwhile New York snapped an eight-game losing streak by defeating Washington 91-80 connected Friday, meaning the last postseason subordinate wouldn’t beryllium decided until the last time of WNBA season.

“But we’re gonna absorption connected doing what we request to bash to triumph connected Sunday, portion evidently keeping up to day with the games that hap earlier then,” Ogwumike added. “But I deliberation nary substance what, it’s a learning accidental for america to recognize conscionable however important it is for the day-to-day microscopic position to truly physique the macroscopic perspective. It’s a learning accidental for our young players arsenic well, we’re gonna bash what we tin to triumph connected Sunday.”

The Sparks seemed each but done for aft they were routed 75-57 by Connecticut connected Sept. 9. But past they pulled disconnected a stunning 81-53 upset of the defending champion Seattle Storm earlier different willful triumph Thursday successful Atlanta.

In those latest 2 wins, the Sparks are averaging 77.5 points and shooting 46.7% from the tract – 5.1 points much and 6.7% amended than their play averages.

And L.A. has maintained its elite defense, holding Seattle and Atlanta to 35.3% shooting combined.

Coach Derek Fisher said these last fewer games volition assistance his comparatively young squad larn to play with determination and desperation, “but inactive beryllium measured, composed, poised, capable to grip and respond to the hostile making a run. If they commencement the crippled 8-2 and the crowd’s going crazy, however bash you mange that emotion and enactment balanced and wide truthful you tin execute connected your adjacent violative possession? So you tin speech correctly connected pick-and-roll coverage? That’s what the large ones do, they don’t let each the outer things to thrust their decision-making successful those cardinal moments.”

Moments that, with immoderate assistance from Minnesota, L.A. mightiness beryllium facing Sunday.