With four games left in the regular season, the Los Angeles Sparks (19-21) sit one game back of Indiana (21-20) and Seattle (22-20) in the loss column for the final two playoff spots. Their 86-75 defeat in Phoenix last Wednesday was a missed opportunity to make up ground, leaving little margin for error in their bid to end a four-year playoff drought.
Three of the Sparks’ final four opponents, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Las Vegas rank among the league’s top four and are tied with 14 losses, each still fighting for playoff positioning. The lone outlier is Dallas who is led by rookie of the year favorite Paige Bueckers. Dallas is no soft matchup either, with Los Angeles escaping by a single point in their last two meetings. In short, the Sparks have no easy outs.
For Sparks, the math is simple: every game is a must-win. “It’s one at a time. It’s been one at a time the whole season,” head coach Lynne Roberts said. “We just got a one-game season right now.”
The Sparks have been a team of extremes all season-top of the league in scoring, second-worst in points allowed-and one cold shooting night could end their season.
Optimists point to talent and newfound cohesion now that the Sparks are fully healthy as reasons to believe they can pull this off and reach the playoffs. Skeptics see defensive flaws and a punishing schedule as barriers too high to clear.
That tension defines the final week. “I think we have the most games remaining, which is good because there are opportunities for us to get wins,” Roberts said. “But it’s tough with the physical demands, the mental demands, and travel.”
If the Sparks find a way to secure a playoff spot, it will mark one of the franchise’s most resilient pushes in recent memory. If not, the drought stretches into a fifth season.
Next up, the Sparks take on the Atlanta Dream on Friday in a rematch of Wednesday night’s game.