Los Angeles Sparks hang onto hope despite last-place finish

No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink tore her ACL early in the season. Guard Lexie Brown’s triumphant return to play after a season-ending illness in 2023 was cut short when her Crohn’s diagnosis took her out for the majority of the season. Veteran guard Layshia Clarendon missed the second half of the season for mental health reasons. And the Sparks lost close game after close game amid several other injuries and absences.

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There aren’t really stats to explain this, so words will have to do: The vibes aren’t what you would expect. They’re weirdly positive. Maybe that’s because the Sparks know they’re going to get a top prospect in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Maybe it’s because despite the losses, they still had more fans — by a long shot — than they did last year (11,045 on average at home, compared to 6,554 in 2023). That indicates that the win/loss column wasn’t the reason fans showed up this year. 

“I’m just appreciative for the vets,” rookie forward Rickea Jackson said. “They’re the ones that deserve this, they’re the ones that blazed the trail, they’re the ones that were taking commercial flights and sharing hotel rooms with other people. … I’m just happy for them.” 

In the final home game of the season on Tuesday, a close loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Fan Appreciation Night, fans showed up yet again. The crowd exploded in cheers for things like a successful coach’s challenge, mascot shenanigans and a reverse layup from center Li Yueru over Phoenix center Brittney Griner. It was emblematic of how the season went: tiny victories in a sea of larger losses.

In the first half, all 10 active players entered the game, including guard Zia Cooke, who had only played 30 minutes in the last seven games. She hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter, going 3-for-3 and matching her season high for threes in a game in only four minutes.  

“Shoutout [to] our fan base and all the fans that came out and supported us in this build season and, through thick and thin, were there each and every night. Tonight, again, over 11,000 on a Tuesday night, which … is historically the lowest-attended night in our league,” Sparks head coach Curt Miller told reporters after the game. “Truly humbled appreciation [for] what this fan base has provided us, their support throughout this entire season. … We look forward to [improving] and coming back next year for them.”

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The Sparks have a lot to look forward to, even without considering what’s ahead in the 2025 draft. Players like Rae Burrell and Jackson stepped up majorly. Burrell averaged 3.6 points in 11.1 minutes per game in 2023 but made huge strides this season after the Olympic break. She averaged 18.3 minutes per game after the break and provided valuable energy from the jump, entering the starting lineup after a few standout performances. 

Similarly, Jackson proved she can play both the three and four positions and repeatedly committed to continue “working on her handles” in the offseason. She will dedicate herself to being a multi-position threat in her sophomore season.

Related reading: WNBA veteran Layshia Clarendon, league’s first openly nonbinary player, retires after 12 seasons

Over the 40-game season, 13 players started a game for Los Angeles. With the balance and promise of young talent, the Sparks are hopeful that next season will yield different results. 

“We’re gonna be in the gym in the offseason,” veteran post player Azura Stevens told fans on the jumbotron after the final home game. “And we’re gonna get better.”

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