Los Angeles Sparks vs. Connecticut Sun Preview, Prediction and Odds - 8/26/21
It’s an interconference battle of teams on opposite sides of the cut line in the WNBA playoff picture on the hardwood in the Nutmeg State. The Los Angeles Sparks are on the road as they make the trip to face the Connecticut Sun Thursday night. Los Angeles was defeated 78-68 on the road by Washington in their most recent contest Tuesday night. Connecticut defeated Las Vegas 76-62 at home in a battle of the top teams in the WNBA Tuesday night in their latest game. The Sun have won four of the last six meetings between the teams, including a 73-59 win as the “road” team in the bubble in the most recent matchup September 17, 2020.
Los Angeles Sparks Hoping to Get Back in Win Column
Los Angeles had won their first four games coming out of the Olympic break but came up on the short end of the scoreboard against Washington in their last game. The Sparks dropped to 10-14 on the season and enter this game even with the Wings for the final playoff spot in the WNBA though Dallas owns the tiebreaker. On Tuesday night, Los Angeles never was in the game as they trailed 14-0 less than three minutes into the contest and never recovered. The Sparks trailed by 17 after the opening quarter, by 29 at the half and by as many as 37 in the second half before making a run to make the final score more respectable. Los Angeles shot 35.7% from the field, including five of 22 from beyond the arc, and lost the rebounding battle 41-35 in the game. Nia Coffey was the lone player for the Sparks in double figures as she scored 15 off the bench in the loss.
On the season, Los Angeles is 12th in the league in scoring offense as they average 73.8 points per game. The Sparks are last in rebounding (30.5 boards per game) and 12th in assists (15.3) this season. Los Angeles is 2nd in scoring defense as they give up an average of 78.9 points a night. Nneka Ogwumike leads the team with 14.6 points plus 6.9 rebounds a game this season. Chiney Ogwumike (8.4 points, 5.4 boards) and Kristi Tolliver (9.7 points) are solid secondary scoring options. Derek Fisher hopes to get more from role players like Brittney Sykes, Nia Coffey (7.7 points), Erica Wheeler (13.5 points, 4.3 assists), Te’a Cooper (8.4 points), Amanda Zahui B. (11 points, 5.8 boards) and Arella Guirantes. Los Angeles is 11th in field goal percentage on the season as they shoot 40.3% from the field as a team on the year. The Sparks are 7th in three-pointers per game (6.9) and 9th in three-point shooting as they convert 32.6% from beyond the arc this season. Los Angeles is 11th in success at the charity stripe as they cash in 75.9% of their attempts on the year. Jasmine Walker was lost for the season with a torn ACL that she suffered against Las Vegas May 21. Chiney Ogwumike missed 19 games with a knee injury before returning against the Liberty August 22.
Connecticut Sun Riding Atop WNBA Standings
Connecticut earned their sixth straight win in regular season action as they folded the Aces in a matchup of the top two teams in the WNBA. The Sun ran their record to 18-6 on the season and own the top spot in the WNBA playoff picture, one game ahead of the Aces and Storm. They became the first team to clinch a playoff spot August 24. Connecticut closed the first quarter with an 11-3 run to take a four-point lead after the opening quarter. The Sun then used a 7-0 run in the second quarter to take the lead for good. Connecticut led by eight at the half and by four after three quarters before outscoring the Aces 18-8 in the final stanza to earn the win. The Sun shot 44.8% from the field, including six of 18 from three-point range, and controlled the boards by a 39-30 margin in the contest. Briann January led Connecticut with 19 points in the victory.
The Sun is 10th in the league in scoring offense as they put up an average of 79.1 points per game so far this season. Connecticut is fourth in the league in rebounding (36.6 boards a night) while they stand 9th by dishing out 17.9 assists a game on the year. The Sun have been good defensively as they are first in scoring defense by allowing an average of 71.5 points per game. DeWanna Bonner is second on the Sun with 16.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game. Jonquel Jones (team-high 19.9 points, 11.1 rebounds), Natisha Hiedeman (7.5 points) and Brionna Jones (14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds) each are valuable contributors. Jasmine Thomas (11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, four assists), Briann January, Beatrice Mompreier, Stephanie Jones, DiJonai Carrington and Kaila Charles are important pieces for coach Curt Miller. Connecticut is fourth in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 44.2% as a team. The Sun are tied for fifth in three-pointers per game (7.1) and fifth in three-point percentage (35.8%) on the year. Connecticut has been mediocre at the charity stripe as they convert on 81% of their attempts, which is 7th in the league. Alyssa Thomas is still out as she recovers from offseason surgery for a torn Achilles.
Pick: Connecticut Sun
Connecticut has been on a roll with six straight wins in the regular season. Sure, that was interrupted by the Commissioner’s Cup final but that contest didn’t factor in the standings. The Sun are the first team to clinch a playoff spot and they’ve beaten the Aces three times this season. Connecticut’s defense is suffocating, as Las Vegas found out again Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Sparks are dismal on the offensive end of the floor and that’s going to create some series issues for them in this one. Connecticut is a sparkling 11-1 at home while outscoring opponents by 9.5 points a game. That’s more than enough to give the Sun the advantage in this contest.
Total: Under
The Sparks are last in the league when it comes to putting points on the board and they are going to face a stiff challenge when it comes to putting points on the board here. Connecticut leads the league in scoring defense by a wide margin. The Sun are also first in field goal percentage defense (41%) and rebounds allowed per game (28.5 boards a night) while they are third in three-point field goal percentage (32.4%) on the season. Los Angeles has seen the under hit in 16 of their 24 games, partially due to their weak offense and partially due to solid defensive play. Connecticut has seen 16 of their 24 games fall under the total, including seven of their last eight contests this year. In the head-to-head series, seven straight meetings have fallen short of the mark and with the way the Sun are stifling teams, this one ends up short of the total as well.