The Liberty are hoping to humble one of the league’s hottest teams when they play the Sparks on Tuesday in their lone trip to Los Angeles this season.
It’s been a little more than two weeks since the Sparks and Liberty last met at Barclays Center, and the teams have been trending in opposite directions.
While the Liberty (20-11) are reeling because of injuries and fatigue, the Sparks (15-16) are thriving.
Los Angeles has gone 9-2 over the past 11 games, with wins against the Liberty, Storm and Fever. The Sparks beat Seattle on Sunday for the second time in 10 days, with Dearica Hamby driving to the basket for a go-ahead layup.
The Sparks have scored at least 90 points in nine of their past 11 games and have eclipsed 100 five times. Since July 13, they’ve posted the third-best offensive rating of 110.8, trailing only the Lynx and Dream.
Los Angeles also recently saw the anticipated return of Cameron Brink after she had been sidelined for more than a year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She gives the Sparks a needed defensive lift, having blocked 13 shots in her six games.
The Liberty, meanwhile, are depleted and struggling to sustain momentum.
Kennedy Burke (calf strain) and Breanna Stewart (bone bruise in knee) remain sidelined since they exited the July 26 loss to the Sparks. They’re also without Nyara Sabally, who all season has been dealing with a knee issue.
Making matters worse, the Liberty are coming off a tough loss to the Lynx in Brooklyn, following it with a trip to the opposite coast.
“You can’t really stick too much for the losses and get your head down,” Liberty forward Emma Meesseman said. “You just want go to the next one, learn from it, talk through it, have video and hopefully have some time on the court, too, to get some individual rhythm back, like with shots and everything, confidence.”
Tuesday is the front end of a back-to-back for the Liberty, who next play the Aces in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
