Article Author:
Reuters
The Los Angeles Sparks had high hopes of returning to the WNBA playoffs this year after missing the playoffs last season.
A season opener with an overtime win over defending his champion Sky in Chicago hinted at the potential they have.
However, a six-game losing streak put Los Angeles at his 12-20 mark, leaving little room for a postseason berth. Starting with Sunday's game at the Washington Mystics heading into the playoffs, it's almost a win or miss for the Sparks.
"There's still a chance," said top scorer Nneka Ogwumike. "That's all I can infer from all of this. We still have a chance. Every game is a chance."
His 88-86 loss in Atlanta on Friday night was a big blow for Los Angeles. did. Ogwumike's possible tying his shot came shortly after the time expired. Wasted in this loss was Britney Sykes' team-leading 23 points, and Ogu Mike's 16 points.
Mike Ogu leads the team with 18.5 points per game, while he sinks 55.6% of his shots on the field.
Meanwhile, Washington (20-13) lost a chance to gain home-court advantage in the first round series as he lost 93-83 in Chicago on Friday. The final margin saw him trailing 55-34 at halftime, pleasing the Mystics, who were 26 down early in the fourth quarter.
"We felt like we were leveling off," said Washington coach Mike Thibault. This is probably the first bad (game) where we failed to generate energy.”
Myisha Hines-Allen scored a game-high 21 points while Shakira Austin scored 17. Added and earned Mystics. Her two-time WNBA MVP was put on hiatus to allow her to play in the final three games of the regular season.
Sparks and Mystics met her twice in Los Angeles this year.
– Field Level Media
