SPARKS: ‘It’s another game,’ Los Angeles versus Indiana preview

The Los Angeles Sparks are back at their true home.

Following a two-game homestand at Walter Pyramid Stadium in Long Beach to begin the season, the Sparks (1-2) are back in Los Angeles. Bringing waves of anticipation, the Sparks welcome rookie sensation guard Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever (0-5) on Friday night.

The highly anticipated matchup was initially going to be played at Walter Pyramid Stadium, but the Sparks moved the game to Crypto.com Arena thanks to the WNBA’s “unprecedented viewership and attendance numbers.” And, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, Clark, is coming to town.

“Visibility is at an all-time high in our league. This is what I love to have [Crypto.com Arena] look like every night,” said head coach Curt Miller. “The women deserve it.”

While the upgraded venue will attract more eyes to Friday night’s game, the Sparks aren’t letting the extra attention distract them from the goal at hand.

“We’re excited to be at [Crypto.com Arena], but it’s another game. Doesn’t matter who or what; it’s about us and how we can get better,” forward Dearica Hamby said.

Los Angeles enters Friday’s contest against the Fever on a positive note after securing its first win of the season against the Mystics. After falling short against the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces to begin the season, the Sparks handled their business in a 70-68 victory against the Washington on Tuesday night thanks to late game heroics from forward Cameron Brink.

Guard Lexie Brown and Hamby have been the Sparks’ one-two punch early on. With no true point guard on the team, Brown has taken on the challenge of becoming more of a facilitator. In three games, she is averaging 14.7 points and 3.7 assists.

“In the offseason, I just worked a lot on my handles. I know I’m going to get trapped a lot and get a lot of elite defenders every night,” Brown said.

After Brown’s 15-point first half on Tuesday, the Mystics started to apply more on-ball pressure on her in the second half, trapping and doubling her anytime they could. Subsequently, Brown began to involve her teammates, finishing the game with six assists.

“We expect to see ball screen traps by Indiana, and how we handle that will be a big part of the story,” Miller said.

Hamby set her sights on being an All-Star this season, and so far, she’s making an undeniable case. Tuesday’s game was a testament to her versatility as an offensive force.

But her impact transcends just putting points on the board. Her fierce determination on the glass has made her the league leader in rebounds so far, as she’s recorded an impressive 13.7 per game.

When you add her scoring prowess—an average of 22.0 points on a stellar 59% shooting from the field—the picture becomes clear. Hamby’s chemistry with Brown in the pick-and-roll is a nightmare for any defense.

“She’s one of the best in the entire league at what she does,” Brown said.

But even securing the win leaves things that Los Angeles must clean up ahead of Friday’s game.

The Sparks’ early season weakness—turnovers—continue to plague them, and have disrupted the team’s offensive flow and rhythm. Tuesday’s victory, though sweet, came with a bitter reminder of this persistent issue as they give the ball away a season-high 28 times. The cocktail of carelessness and errant passes that has them sitting third in the league for turnovers, averaging a worrisome 17.3 per game.

“We got to take care of the ball. It’s going to be hard to win games in this league with the amount of turnovers we had,” Hamby said.

Defensively, the Sparks are a work in progress. They’ll want to sharpen their focus on closing out shooters and quicken their rotations to cover assignments. Too often, opponents are left with the luxury of taking uncontested shots. Right now, Los Angeles is allowing its opponents to shoot a staggering 39.7% from beyond the arc, only trailing the Aces for worst in the league.

On the other hand, the Fever are still trying to find their rhythm as the season unfolds. Desperately searching for its first win, Indiana is stuck at the bottom of the WNBA table with a 0-5 record. The Fever’s struggles are most glaring on the defensive end, where they’ve allowed a league-worst 91.6 points per game.

“Obviously, [Indiana] is hungry for their first win. I think they played well but have had a difficult schedule out the gate,” Miller said.

The young Fever squad has shown flashes of promise but hasn’t managed to consistently piece it all together. Clark has embraced the role of primary scorer, averaging a team-high 17.8 points. Third-year guard Nylssa Smith and veteran [position] Kelsey Mitchell have stepped up as reliable scoring options, adding depth to their offensive game.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game. It starts with Caitlin...[but] they have a ton of weapons,” Miller said.

Friday’s matchup against the Sparks will see the Fever eagerly push the pace at every opportunity. Indiana has been trying to carve out an identity based on a fast-paced transition game, looking to capitalize on every chance—whether it be from made shots, turnovers, or missed opportunities. Averaging 7.4 fast break points per game, the Fever are constantly searching for those brief windows to accelerate, hoping to catch their opponents off guard and finally break their winless streak.

“We have got to match the energy that they have, up and down on the offensive end,” said Miller. “Transition defense is a big part of our success tomorrow.”

The Sparks look to extend their win streak to two games against the Fever on Friday, which would bring Los Angeles’ season record back to .500. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena and will be broadcast on ION Television.