LOS ANGELES – It’s been one of those seasons for the Los Angeles Sparks. Shuffling roster spots and various injuries have contributed to the season being derailed, but amid the adversity, the team has refused to give up. The latest road block came on Sunday against the Portland Fire when Cameron Brink, Dearica Hamby and Aaliyah Nye were all ruled out due to injury, calling veteran forward Emma Cannon into starting duty.

With Emma Cannon making her first start of the season, the Sparks cruised to a 108-84 win against the Fire, continuing the momentum that began with the organization unveiling a statue honor for former franchise player Lisa Leslie earlier in the day.

And for Cannon, she knows she isn’t going to play much on a nightly basis, but she keeps herself sharp and ready to go just in case her name is called, as it was on Sunday evening.

“I would say I always stay ready so I don’t got to get ready,” Cannon said during her postgame press conference. “This is something that I’m used to. When you play with a lot of great players and your name is called, you don’t want to disappoint. So like I said, I always stay ready and yeah, it’s fun times.”

The eight-year WNBA veteran tied a season-high with 10 points, while adding two rebounds and one assist in a little over 13 minutes of play. Her first shot of the game, and also the team’s first basket, was a 3-pointer off the assist from Ariel Atkins.

A rugged post player, Cannon has developed a consistent 3-point shot, and her floor-spacing ability actually gives the Sparks’ offensive a different look. 24 of the 40 shot attempts she’s taken this season have come from the 3-point line. And she’s knocking them down at a 50 percent clip. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts joked that she knew Cannon’s first made basket against the Fire was going to be from beyond the arc.

“I thought Emma was great. She came in and banged down a three, and we were, as coaches before the game we were like, ‘I bet she bangs down a three in the first couple minutes.’ She’s played a lot of basketball and so it’s a lot of confidence when we’re banged up inside, to have Emma,” Roberts said during her postgame press conference. “She’s been tremendous for two years, just the ultimate professional, all about the team. There is some joy for me to see her get rewarded like that.

“And I knew she’d be ready. I said, ‘you ready to go?’ And she said, ‘honey, I’ll do whatever.’ Just classic Emma.”

Cannon has appeared in 17 games this season, her second with the Sparks, at a little over seven minutes per game. She’s averaging 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds with splits of 50 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent from the 3-point line and 82.6 percent from the free-throw line.

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But her value to the Sparks goes far beyond the stat sheet. During last season’s exit interviews, Roberts and former general manager Raegan Pebley singled her out as being integral to the culture the team was trying to build. Several of the younger players have mentioned Cannon as being a voice in which they can go to for whatever advice they need as they navigate their early careers.

Take Sunday’s game for example. With Brink, Hamby and Nye all out, those younger players were called into action and responded in a big way. Amid lineups and combinations that had never played together before, they passed the test with flying colors.

“They’re all my little babies, and it’s something about just competing every day and showing up and putting your best foot forward. And that’s something that I’ve been trying to teach them and tell them that,” Cannon said. “You’re not gonna get all the minutes, but you have to be ready when your number is called. So you definitely go out there every day and you practice and you play like you are a starter. So that when your number is called, go in and you compete and you do the best you can do.

“I’m proud of them. This is just a stepping stone for them. This is their foundation. They’re just getting their feet wet, so I’m excited for the future.”

As for her own future, Cannon signed a one-year contract and will hit unrestricted free agency this coming offseason. Her role on the team is invaluable, and she’s become an extra coach on the sidelines as Roberts has emphasized plenty of times throughout the year.

Decisions on the future will come at a later date, but there’s no denying the imprint Cannon has left on the organization.

“It’s my parents, they’ve instilled in me that you treat everybody the way you want to be treated, and that goes down from there janitor to the CEO. That’s something that I live by. That’s something that’s been instilled in me and something that I raise my children with,” Cannon continued. “You never know what somebody is going through or whatnot, but if you stay consistent day in and day out, and they know they have a familiar face that is smiling every day, it changes the game … your impact doesn’t always have to just be on the court.”