Sparks struggle with Mercury’s zone defense during loss at Galen Center
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It seemed no lead was safe during the Sparks’ matchup against the Mercury on Tuesday night before Phoenix rallied for a 94-87 win at the Galen Center, snapping its three-game losing streak.
The Sparks have lost nine of their last 11 games, but both teams are still fighting for a playoff spot with fewer than a dozen games remaining. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said pregame that the players know what is at stake during the final stretch of the season.
The Sparks (12-20) sit in 10th place, one spot ahead of the Mercury (13-22) and outside of the eight-team playoff cut line, with 12 games remaining.
Kelsey Plum, who was recently traded from the Sparks to the Mercury, did not play during the first matchup against her former team because of a lower left leg injury.
The Sparks rally back from a 19-point deficit to make it one-point game late in the fourth quarter, but they can’t match Golden State in the final minute of an 84-78 loss.
“There are no gimme games in this league for anybody, whether you are in first or last — every game is hard,” Roberts said.
Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell led the Sparks with 19 points each and Nneka Ogwumike added 18 points and nine rebounds. Cameron Brink finished with seven points and five rebounds off the bench.
After a slow start during a loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, the Sparks scoreed 23 points in the first quarter.
The Sparks held a 47-44 halftime lead after a steal by Burrell, which she followed with a crafty reverse layup in the final seconds.
The teams traded the lead throughout the third quarter.
The Sparks pulled ahead in the fourth, but Phoenix tied it 81-81 with 3:33 remaining after a bucket from the Mercury’s top scorer, Noémie Brochant.
Brochant led the team with 24 points and five steals, making it difficult for the Sparks to rally.
The Sparks got a potential lottery pick, another draft pick and a starting guard out of their trade with the Mercury for Kelsey Plum, aiding their rebuild.
Ariel Atkins cut the deficit to 90-87 after banking in a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining, but the Mercury made their free throws and pressured the Sparks’ offense.
The Sparks had difficulty solving the Mercury’s zone defense as Phoenix dominated the paint for stretches of the game. Hamby had four turnovers, including two in the fourth quarter.
“It was kind of those one-on-one on the inside before they went zone,” Hamby said. “I feel like the second half was every time I went to my move, they were right there and on time with the turnovers.”
Roberts said that she expects to see the same zone defense on Thursday when the Sparks travel to New York to face the Liberty (20-14).
“The ball did not move. We were trying to throw dimes when you need to make the easy play,” Roberts said. “But that’s what zone does, you know? If we had shot better, they probably would have gotten out of it.”
