Sparks head coach Curt Miller told reporters on July 5, “Wins and losses take care of themselves. We’ve got to worry about the process and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
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Here are a few numbers to back up the Sparks’ process:
Four: The number of Olympians the Sparks have. Dearica Hamby (USA 3-on-3), Kia Nurse (Canada), Stephanie Talbot (Australia) and Li Yueru (China) will all be competing — and two of them are on teams considered to be medal contenders from the jump, in Hamby and Talbot. While this is not the most Olympians on a single WNBA roster, it’s significant for a team that’s had struggles this season.
Eight: Azura Stevens’ plus-minus since injury. It doesn’t sound significant, necessarily, but this can’t be said for any other Spark who has played more than 13 total minutes in yellow and purple this season. Stevens is back (no but like, actually back). In her four games post-injury, the center has shot 51.2% from the floor. She’s averaging 14.8 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. A true breath of fresh air.
72.4%: The Sparks’ percentage of assisted baskets this year. It’s the most in program history and fourth in the league — which shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’ve watched L.A. share the ball this year. The team is nothing if not unselfish (sometimes to its own detriment). And the rookies are learning fast: Forward Rickea Jackson increased her assist ratio from 2.8% in May to 18% in July, demonstrating a major shift in her playing style as she adjusts to the rhythm of the WNBA.
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Ten: Number of Sparks who have started a game this season. Since shifting into the starting lineup, fourth-year point guard Aari McDonald has increased her production from 3.1 assists per game to 5.1 assists. Despite Hamby being the team’s leading scorer in 14 of their 24 games, the Sparks benefit from young players eager to step up and share the ball. Take Rae Burrell, who averaged 2.3 points and six minutes per game in May, but 20.6 minutes and seven points in July.
Zero: The number of categories on the WNBA homepage where the Sparks rank in the top five. But, like I said, bright spots! Hamby is top 10 in scoring across the league, with 19.2 points per game and 10 rebounds. She’s one of four players to average a double-double this season.
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She and Stevens are shooting 40% and 53% from 3, respectively, positioning them as inside-out threats at their position. The more they’re both on the floor, the stronger the Sparks can become. And Stevens has been back only four games — we’ve got a whole half season of “Z” ahead of us.
67.8%: The percent increase in attendance at Crypto.com Arena this year. We’ve got 16 games to go — and the Sparks will get eight of them at home, in front of a crowd that has, on average, 10,993 fans, putting them at fourth in the league and a far cry from last year’s 6,553.
As the Sparks continue to reestablish themselves and rebuild, this is perhaps the most encouraging data point. Women’s basketball is picking up steam in Los Angeles.
Stathead Stat of the Week
WNBA All-Star Game MVP Arike Ogunbowale is averaging 22.3 points, 5.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game this season. She’s on pace to be the first player in WNBA history to average 20-5-2 in a season.
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