The Los Angeles Sparks have been one of many hottest groups within the WNBA because the All-Star break posting a 4-1 report. That stretch goes again to earlier than the break as effectively with the Sparks profitable seven of their final 9 video games. However in a considerably unusual and fascinating dynamic, the vast majority of the Sparks’ wins have come throughout highway video games. In reality, the Sparks have the worst house sport report within the league at 3-9. Following the Sparks’ most up-to-date highway win, 108-106 towards the Seattle Storm, Kelsey Plum spoke about that dynamic.
“I believe if I had the reply, I’d inform you. Regardless, on the finish of the day we’re skilled athletes and we’re gonna determine it out. However tonight was an excellent step in the best route,” Plum mentioned throughout her postgame press convention. “And we have now a troublesome one with Indiana at house, they’re taking part in nice basketball. It’s not going to be a simple sport.”
“And after we begin tot take a look at the standings and the place we’re at, each sport is crucial and defending house courtroom is the best way that you simply get into the playoffs,” Kelsey Plum continued. “In the event you win your own home video games, you’re often within the playoffs. . .I’ll take accountability for that. We obtained to have the ability to win at house, and I believe that’s loads partly on me being higher.”
Following the win towards the Storm, the Sparks moved into first for essentially the most variety of highway sport wins within the league with 9. The Minnesota Lynx, who maintain the perfect report within the league at 24-5, reached that mark as effectively following their highway win towards the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday.
However once you take a look at the groups with the perfect information within the league such because the New York Liberty (17-10), Atlanta Dream (17-11) and Phoenix Mercury (16-11), solely the Mercury have a profitable report on the highway at 8-7. The Sparks are certainly one of solely 4 groups together with the Lynx, Mercury and Storm as having profitable highway information.
If the Sparks had the identical win tempo for house video games as they do on the highway, they’d be up there with the perfect groups within the WNBA. It’s a a dynamic that has additionally befuddled Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts.
“I believe we’re capable of form of get rid of distractions on the highway. I believe it’s very a lot the collective form of one, all for one and one for all mentality,” Roberts mentioned following the Storm win, “I believe we perceive that we’re a sum of the elements crew, however I don’t know, that’s not quite common is it. We’ve obtained nice crowds and it’s not like we’re taking part in in an empty enviornment. So we’ve obtained to repair the house sport factor, however we’ll proceed to get higher.”