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Records: Seattle Storm (5-17) @ Los Angeles Sparks (7-15)
Location: Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
Game Time: 08/11/15 at 7:30pm PST
Broadcast: NBA TV and Live Access
Season Series: Seattle 3-0; Storm won most recent meeting 68-61 in Seattle on July 15th.
This season the Seattle Storm are 3-0 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Against the rest of the league, they have been an abysmal 2-17. So it seems rather fitting that the Storm get to play the Sparks now in the midst of a five game losing streak. Unfortunately for the Storm, the Los Angeles Sparks team that struggled mightily through the first two months of the season, looks much different in the month of August. Since the return of All-Star F/C Candace Parker, the Sparks have won four of six. Los Angeles has vaulted above both the Storm and the San Antonio Stars and now sits in the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If trends continue, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Sparks end up passing up the Tulsa Shock, who have been free-falling since Skylar Diggins injury, and end the season third in the Western Conference.
The Storm have played their best basketball of the season against the Sparks, so tonight's game should be interesting to see if they can get over the hump and get a rare road win. The Storm's only road win this season, was a 60-54 win in Los Angeles that took place on June 14th. Since July 1st, the Storm have lost ten of twelve games; which has led them to the worst record in the WNBA.
Crystal Langhorne leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 11.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG. Sue Bird is second in scoring and first in assists with 10.2 PPG and 5.6 APG.
After sitting out the 1st half of the season for rest, Candace Parker has now returned and leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 16.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG. The Sparks have four players that average over 14.0 PPG including: Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, Kristi Toliver, and Jantel Lavender. By comparison, the Storm have only two players that score in double figures.