The Los Angeles Sparks are preparing for a daunting task at home on Monday: trying to contain the high-flying Atlanta Dream, who annihilated them 36 points just last Thursday.
The Sparks (13-24) snapped their long losing streak on Saturday with a 9-point win over the Connecticut Sun. However, they will face a far tougher opponent in the Dream (24-13), who clinched a playoff spot for the 2026 postseason after defeating the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.
The Dream's performance against the Sparks last Thursday was nothing short of impressive. They shot an incredible 64% from the field, and Angel Reese dominated on the floor with a near-triple-double (20-10-8). Reese made all nine of her field goal attempts, and her presence on the court was felt by both her teammates and the opposing team.
"I don't know if it's a learning thing," Roberts said about learning anything from playing Reese after the game. "I think it's a respect thing. There's always a lot of narrative about Angel, but man, she competes. And she plays so hard and I respect the hell out of that."
The Sparks will have to bring their A-game to contain the Dream's star player, Reese. They will also need to bring their physicality, especially against an extremely tough player like Reese. Rae Burrell, who was scoreless in the first half of their previous game against the Dream, will have to get off to a better start this time around.
Burrell has been lighting it up in her last 12 games, averaging 17.8 points and shooting just over 40% from three. Newcomer Tonie Morgan has shown her elite athleticism in the five games that she's been in L.A., averaging 5.6 points thus far. Rookie Chance Gray has shot 40% from three in her last six games, providing some punch off the bench.
The Sparks will continue to see what they have with their young players as the season winds down. It'll be tough against the excellent Atlanta team, but if they can keep it competitive and close, it'll be an encouraging sign for Los Angeles.
The Sparks will have to rely on their defense to contain the Dream's high-powered offense. They will need to bring the physicality they showed on Saturday against the Sun, and hope that it will be enough to keep the game close.
The game is set to take place on Monday at the Los Angeles Sparks' home stadium.
Source: Yahoo Sports