The Los Angeles Sparks got tripped up anew on Wednesday, suffering a 92-84 loss to Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury at Crypto.com Arena.
With that loss, the Sparks got swept in a three-game regular-season series against the Mercury, but that might be the least of their concerns right now. The loss further diminished the Sparks’ room for error, if they are to make the 2025 WNBA playoffs.
They entered the game already outside the playoff picture, sitting in the ninth spot in the WNBA standings. Dropping to 17-19 after their latest setback, Kelsey Plum and the Sparks are now 1.5 games outside of the playoff picture. They have lost four of their last 10 outings and still trail the Seattle Storm for the No. 8 spot.
The Storm also lost on Wednesday, getting blown out by the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever on the road, but the Sparks couldn’t capitalize on the golden opportunity to narrow the gap between them and Seattle.
After a blistering stretch from July to August that saw them win eight of nine games, the Sparks appeared to be in the right direction to clinch a postseason berth. Instead, inconsistencies have left the Sparks tumbling down again. Since that fiery span, Los Angeles has alternated wins and losses, winning just three of seven games. Over that course, Plum has scored at least 20 points six times and shot 48.5 percent from the field, but Los Angeles clearly needed more.
Against Phoenix, the Sparks struggled from deep and failed to contain Thomas, who set a new single-season record with her seventh triple-double of the season. She lit up LA for 12 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists.
“I’m sure it’s because the playoffs are coming, and we’re scrapping for our lives, and they’re playing hard,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts shared after the Mercury game, per Kara Alexander of the Los Angeles Times. “We’re all playing for something and the intensity is up, and these guys have pride in how they play.”
Plum, who signed a one-year deal with the Sparks last February, finished with 20 points, while Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson provided 25 and 21 points, respectively.
Looking ahead, the Sparks still have eight games to play in the regular season, but only two of those are against teams that are currently not in the top eight.
