Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. Let’s take a look at how the ladies in the WNBA are doing!
The L.A. Sparks continue to stay hot as they win their 5th in a row.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Gosling/Getty Images.)
I feel like such an idiot. I’m so enamored with the Seattle Storm, the Las Vegas Aces (my niece’s favorite team), and even the Minnesota Lynx that I forgot all about my LOCAL TEAM. You know, that team that actually has a RICH WNBA HISTORY. Three championships. Lisa Leslie. Penny Toler. DeLisha Milton-Jones. Candace Parker. Nneka Ogwumike. Chelsea Gray.
And currently? They’re 8-3. And they’ve won five straight. Why am I NOT paying attention to them?
They still have the aforementioned Parker, Ogwumike, and Gray. Parker has been awesome as she has been her entire career. Ogwumike continues to be great. We all know Chelsea is clutch as hell.
But there’s that supporting cast, too. Yeah, it’s still extremely weird but Seimone Augustus has been great for them. Riquna Williams is a steady scorer. Brittney Sykes has given them some scoring punch. Sydney Wiese is a deadeye shooter and Te’a Cooper has given them some good minutes.
PLUS they’re 2nd in defensive rating; they allow 96.6 points per 100 possessions. It’s all about defensive intensity and they showed it in their game against another good team in the Phoenix Mercury.
The Sparks smashed them, 24-10, after the first quarter. They would go up as many as 22 points in the third quarter. Diana Taurasi, the GOAT that she is, rallied the Mercury back and cut the deficit to two but the Sparks settled down and held Phoenix to just three points in about the last five minutes of the game.
In this five-game win streak, the Sparks beat teams by an average of 14.2 points per. Parker leads the league in rebounds at 9.5.
So I just have to remind myself that the Sparks are still very good right now. It’s easy to look at the dominant Storm, the rising Aces, and the surprising Lynx. But the Sparks have been here the whole time. And they ain’t going anywhere, it seems.
Bullet Passes
Remember these surprise breakout games the WNBA has been having this season? Myisha Hines-Allen of the Washington Mystics was that astonishing star the first night. Monique Billings of the Atlanta Dream did it the next night. Billings’ teammate, Betnijah Laney, had a huge 30-point night a few days later. About a week after, Bridget Carleton of the Minnesota Lynx shocked everyone.
On Wednesday, it was Stella Johnson, who also now plays for the Mystics! Her career-best 25 points snapped the Mystics’ nightmarish losing streak. And she had only scored 9 total points in her previous 6 WNBA games. But that was a hell of a performance.
On the other side, the Atlanta Dream had big nights from the previously mentioned Laney, who scored her second 30-point game with 35 points, and Courtney Williams, who had 30. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough against the defending champs. The Dream have an even worse losing streak at 9 games.
The Dallas Wings went up by 15 in the third against the Lynx but them Lynx continue to be resilient. The Lynx shot the lights out from behind the arc, making 14 of 23 (.609). Crystal Dangerfield continued to dazzle; she scored 21 points and sank five threes.
Double U Scoreboard
ATL 91 (2-10) v WAS 98 (4-7)
DAL 84 (4-8) v MIN 91 (8-3)
PHX 74 (6-6) v LA 83 (8-3)
Watch This Play
I really like this pass by Candace to Brittney Sykes.
CP3 dropping DIMES 💰@Candace_Parker | @BrittBundlez pic.twitter.com/Xbyh7XCCtD
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) August 20, 2020
What a great cut by Sykes.
Here’s to everyone staying safe in the Wubble!
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.