10:30 PM ET: Los Angeles Sparks vs Connecticut Sun: This is a mismatch of epic proportions as the LA Sparks who reside at the bottom of the Western Conference are going against the best team record-wise in the Connecticut Sun. Sparks have lost their “spark” since Candice Parker left for Chicago Sky and to make the matters worse, Nneka Ogwumike, the offensive ace of the team, missed more than ten games in the initial parts of the season. Sparks are the lowest-scoring team in the league going at only about 72.7 PPG and in this game, they will square off against the Sun who is the best defensive team, allowing just 73.7 PPG.
Sun is sitting at a 22-6 and is in red-hot form, winning ten games in a row and can potentially add another victory. The Sun runs a half-court-based offense and has the slowest pace in the league at 74.0, however that is by design as they have players who first like to establish positions and most of their damage is done by their frontline players in Jonquel Jones, Brionna Jones, and DeWanna Bonner. Jonquel is an offensive machine and also leads the league in rebounding with an astounding 10.9 RPG! DeWanna-Brionna-Jonquel frontline likes to seal low-post positions, can hit face-up jumpers, and lull the defense to sleep by their patient execution. The Sparks offense is mostly dependent upon Nneka Ogwumike but Erica Wheeler has also been exceptional for them this season with her nifty drives and pull-up jumpers. The bench depth has been particularly troubling for the Sparks and the Sun frontline has the potential to overwhelm them on both sides of the floor. The Sun enters the game with a clear edge but can Nneka, Wheeler, Sykes, Cooper, Zahui B, Cox, and Coffey pull an upset here?