Five games are taking place across Sunday’s WNBA slate. Tipping off at 4 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Sparks will host the Chicago Sky for the third time this season.
During their matchup on May 25, the Sparks came out on top with a 91-78 victory. The Sky got their revenge on Tuesday, June 24, with an impressive 97-86 victory of their own. Neither of these teams sits in their desired spot in the standings, with the Sparks entering with a 5-11 record and the Sky at 4-11 on the year.
The Sparks enter as six-point favorites and -250 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sky hold +205 odds on the moneyline, with the game total set at 169.
Sparks vs. Sky preview
The Los Angeles Sparks took a major swing in the offseason by trading for Kelsey Plum, but have yet to reap the benefits. They hold a 5-11 record on the season and have had some struggles on both sides of the ball. Los Angeles averages 81.6 points per game, which ranks eighth in the WNBA, and is connecting on just 33.3% of its three-point attempts. Opponents are scoring 86.5 points per game against the Sparks, which is the third-worst rate in the league, and they rank 10th in defensive rating. The Sparks also allow the second-most points off turnovers and the second-most second-chance points.
Plum headlines the production, averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. Dearica Hamby has impressed this year, averaging 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, while Rickea Jackson has been a massive X-factor, producing nightly outputs of 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Azura Stevens is also extremely important to the team and is producing 14.4 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds while setting the tone on the defensive end and connecting on 36.9% of her three-point attempts.
Chicago also has quite a few concerns to take note of within its team. It is averaging just 77.9 points per game, the second-worst rate in the league, and shoots 41.9% from the field and 31.4% from beyond the three-point which each rank in the bottom five of the league. The Sky turns the ball over 17.3 times per game, which is the worst rate in the league by a full turnover. Opponents are scoring 87.9 points per game, which is the second-worst rate in the league and just 0.1 points away from the worst rate. The Sky also allow opponents to shoot 45.8% from the floor and 39.7% from beyond the three-point arc, which are the worst marks in the WNBA.
Ariel Atkins headlines the team’s scoring with 13.9 points per game and is the team’s best three-point shooter at 36.4%. Kamilla Cardoso has taken a step forward in her second season, averaging 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds, but has stepped away from the team to represent Brazil in the FIBA Americup. Angel Reese is averaging 11.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while showing some intriguing growth as a playmaker in recent games. She is also leading the team with 1.9 steals per game. Chicago is missing the production of Courtney Vandersloot, who went down earlier this year with a torn ACL.
Sparks vs. Sky prediction, pick
Both these teams have flaws that opposing teams can take advantage of. They have split their pair of matchups to this point, but there is much more that needs to be covered up on the Sky roster. During Chicago’s previous victory over Los Angeles, the Sky shot 6-for-18 (33.3%), won the rebounding battle 36-27, and forced five more turnovers than they conceded. Cardoso also stepped up with a 27-point outing in this victory, but she will be away from the team representing Brazil. Even with these factors considered, it took Chicago outscoring Los Angeles 30-17 in the fourth quarter to cement the victory. Plum also shot just 6-for-17 from the floor and missed all six of her three-point attempts.
While neither of these teams will likely end the season in the championship mix, the concerns with this Sky team feel more deeply rooted. Los Angeles has not played its best basketball yet, but this has been more of a result of adjusting to the new faces. Don’t count the Sparks out from the season-long perspective, and expect there to be an itch for a better result in this matchup following the previous loss.
Expect some regression from the Sky’s decision-making and for turnovers to prove problematic once again. The Sparks are coming off a victory over the Indiana Fever in their previous game. They also will have the home crowd behind them and a rest advantage. This still feels like a buy-low spot on the Sparks, who have yet to get on the right foot this season. The victory they produced over the Sky this year was by 13 points.
I like the Sparks to get the victory and cover the six-point spread, and I will keep an eye on this being a turning point in their season. They have shown flashes of being the team they hoped for in short stretches, and count on them separating themselves from the Sky in this matchup to get a convincing result.
