After a slow start to the season, the Los Angeles Sparks have officially entered the playoff race. With five consecutive wins, the Sparks are now only half a game behind the Golden State Valkyries, one game behind the Washington Mystics, and one and a half games behind the Las Vegas Aces.
Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Azura Stevens, and Rickea Jackson have been fueling one of the best offenses in the league. Los Angeles ranks fifth in offensive rating for the season and first in July. The team hasn’t been quite as successful on the other end of the floor. Lynne Roberts’ squad has been one of the worst defensive teams in the league all season long. Only the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky have a worse defensive rating.
However, the Sparks are well set up to change that. Not only is Cameron Brink set to make her long-awaited return to the court after rehabbing a torn ACL she suffered in her rookie season, but the team also brought back Latricia Trammell as an assistant coach.
Brink and Trammell can help the Sparks improve defensively
Brink is a talented defender, averaging 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks in the 15 games she played before her injury. She was also recognized for her defense in college, winning three consecutive Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year awards and the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. While it will take Brink some time to get back into game shape, her presence alone should help the Sparks turn up their defense.
Meanwhile, Trammell has established herself as a defensive-minded coach in the WNBA and with the Sparks. She served as an assistant coach in Los Angeles between 2019 and 2022. During her time with the team, Candace Parker was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Nneka Ogwumike and Brittney Sykes received All-Defensive Team honors.
The Sparks already have the offense figured out. Plum, Hamby, Stevens, and Jackson are all averaging at least 13 points per game and have shown that they can drastically exceed those averages. All four have been the Sparks’ leading scorers at one point in the season, putting up several 20-point games. Plum even hit the 30-point mark twice.
So, what the Sparks need to have a legitimate shot at a playoff spot is to improve defensively. With the right scheme and Brink back in the rotation, the Sparks should be able to accomplish that. They have interesting defensive pieces.
Kelsey Plum is a strong perimeter defender, Hamby gets a lot of defensive rebounds and steals, Azura Stevens has been a great rim protector for the Sparks this season, averaging 1.2 blocks per game, Rae Burrell can cause some trouble on the perimeter, and Rickea Jackson’s size makes her a matchup nightmare at either forward spot.