The longest playoff drought in franchise history continues for the Los Angeles Sparks. The streak that began at the end of the 2021 season remained alive when the team lost to the Chicago Sky on Sept. 7, becoming the first franchise eliminated from playoff contention this season. A campaign that started with immense hope for the future became another round of “wait until next year” for fans waiting for the team to return to their championship roots.
The most glaring culprit for the team’s lack of success is the health issues the franchise has had to navigate. The team began the season without the services of Azura Stevens due to an arm injury. Before the season even began, Lexie Brown revealed that she had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and has since only played in 16 games for the team. Veteran guard Layshia Clarendon has been absent from the team since July due to mental health reasons.Success has been limited, but hope remains for Sparks fans. The two rookies picked by the franchise this year have proven to be more than capable WNBA players. Cameron Brink, the second overall pick, ranked second in the league in block shots before an ACL injury ended her season on June 18. While the defensive prowess of the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year was evident from the start of the season, Brink also showed flashes of an offensive game that can stand out in a league of great shooters. The 6-foot-4 forward demonstrated a willingness to step away from the paint and shoot from behind the arc, putting up a mild 32.2 percent shooting on 2.1 attempts per game. An offseason of work could help make that a focal point of her offense and add another element to LA’s offense that would be difficult for other teams to defend.
The absence left by Brink’s injury opened up opportunities around the roster, most notably for fellow rookie lottery pick, Rickea Jackson. In the games since her rookie class member went down, Jackson has scored in double digits in 18 of the Sparks’ 22 games. In that time she raised her scoring average from 10.5 points per game (PPG) to 15.1 PPG on 46.2 percent shooting and has been the second-leading scoring rookie in the league behind Caitlin Clark. Jackson already came into the league with a prolific bag of offensive tricks, however, the increase in minutes has allowed her to showcase a refined arsenal of abilities. She’s shown as much comfort in taking threes and posting up smaller players, as she has with the offensive skills she flashed in her college days like driving to the basket and taking mid-range jumpers.
(For more on Rickea Jackson’s development, check out this great piece from my colleague Michael Waterloo)
It wasn’t just the rookies making waves for this West Coast team. It was also a career year for the Spark’s most decorated current player Dearica Hamby. The three-time all-star and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year award winner showed out in her second season in Los Angeles. She averaged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals. She was so impactful on the court, she put herself in the conversation for the league’s Most Improved Player Award. Head coach Curt Miller showered her with praise at a media session earlier in September, saying she deserves that recognition because “[H]er shooting percentages are up, her scoring is up, her rebounding is up, every statistical category is up. And to me, “most improved” is not a one area of improvement…the Most Improved Player in my opinion should have a diversity of improvement and she checks the box in every single area.”
Curt Miller makes a case for Dearica Hamby as Most Improved Player this season. @SportingTrib @FredoCervantes pic.twitter.com/JLYTqF8B8Y
— 𝐑𝐞𝐲-𝐑𝐞𝐲 (@TheNoLookPass) September 11, 2024
While the Sparks are forced to wait another year for a playoff push, it doesn’t mean that the organization and its fans are without something to look forward to. Los Angeles is the current leader for the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes, having secured the best lottery odds for the number one pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. If the Sparks could add someone of the caliber of Bueckers in the next year, it would undoubtedly bolster a team that’s already flushed with young talent.
In Bueckers, the Sparks would have another multi-level scoring threat to play alongside Jackson. The current UConn star also has the playmaking abilities to play off of post players like Hamby and Brink and is herself a stand alone three point shooting threat. In other words, the Chinese Theatre lights wouldn’t be the only thing shining bright in Hollywood.
The 2025 draft poses other potential picks at the number one spot for the Sparks. Kiki Irafen is coming off a breakout season at Stanford and is now with the USC Trojans right in the backyard of the WNBA club. She could prove to be a great second post option to play alongside Brink to complement her scoring and rebounding skills. Additionally, LSU’s Aneesha Morrow has the chops to be a lockdown WNBA defender, rebounder and scorer from the wing position.
Whomever the lottery pick next year, the Sparks will be heading in their new direction without head coach Curt Miller. It was announced on September 24th that Miller and the franchise agreed to part ways, meaning the person who was 25-55 in two seasons with the team will not be around to build off the promise of this young team. This obviously adds to the uncertainty with where this team is headed, but it wouldn’t be LA if there wasn’t a little bit of drama.
I’m going to need a minute after that one…. I haven’t been this shocked in a very, VERY long time.
I’m dumbfounded.
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) September 24, 2024
All this to say that despite the curtain closing early on this season of the Los Angeles Sparks, it will be worth staying around for the encore in 2025. Get your popcorn ready.
All stats are courtesy of WNBA.com unless otherwise noted.
