Injury-plagued Sparks seek playoff push, say tanking is ‘not in our DNA’

TORRANCE — After 20 games, the Sparks are not happy with their 7-13 record.

However, that doesn’t mean a franchise that has won three WNBA championships is ready to tank and give up on making the playoffs this season.

In her opening remarks during a midseason state of the team address on Tuesday at the team’s training facility at El Camino College, Sparks general manager and chief administrative officer Karen Bryant said expectations should remain high throughout the organization. In her mind, Bryant said, those expectations have not changed despite the team being forced to use 12 different starting lineups in the first 20 games because of injuries and illnesses.

“We’re not happy with where we are right now in the standings and the win-loss record but I think we’re giving ourselves a tremendous amount of grace in terms of how we’ve handled the injuries in particular,” Bryant said. “Transforming our organization is not an easy thing to do and it was never going to happen overnight.”

2023 playoffs or 2024 draft lottery?

Bryant and Coach Curt Miller’s vision for the rest of the season is aligned. Both are halfway through the first year of their respective positions with the Sparks, and both want to win as many games as possible to close out the season.

“(Players) want to make the playoffs,” Miller said. “I wasn’t a coach that was brought in to tank. There’s no tanking.”

“It’s not in our DNA,” Bryant interjected when Miller merely spoke the word.

The Sparks are getting career-best seasons from All-Star starter Nneka Ogwumike, Jordin Canada, Karlie Samuelson and Lexie Brown, which is one reason Miller still believes this team can be successful the rest of the regular season and into the postseason.

“If we can make a run and get into the playoffs, we will be a tough out,” Miller continued. “If we continue to have to pivot and we fall short and we’re into the lottery, then we hope the balls bounce our way, literally.

“Again, it’s all a part of the build. We came here and we consistently talked about sustainable success and building it. My track record from the collegiate level to the pro level took a rebuilding year each and every place that I’ve been, and then the success took off at each place and we haven’t lost sight of that that’s the trajectory that we want to be on.”

The second half of the Sparks’ season will be a gauntlet. Eleven of the team’s last 20 games will be against teams with winning records at the All-Star break, including five road games against the league’s top three teams; the Las Vegas Aces (on Aug. 19), New York Liberty (July 30, Aug. 1) and the Connecticut Sun (Aug. 27, Sept. 5).

Despite the aforementioned adversity, the Sparks are ninth in the 12-team standings, a mere one game outside of the league’s final playoff spot. Philosophically, Bryant said she values making the playoffs but with a rash of injuries and illnesses, she said it’s important to realize there are things beyond their control.

“What we continue to focus on is what we can control,” Bryant said. “One of the things that this first half has really taught us is there’s so many things in this business that are out of your control and it’s how you respond and it’s how you adjust in your adaptability as a franchise. That’s what makes great organizations.

“Whether we make the playoffs or not we can’t control how those balls bounce. At the end of the day, we’re going to try and win basketball games and we’re super committed to this second half being really focused as we get Layshia (Clarendon) and Lexie (Brown) back into the mix. Two really important pieces on and off the court for what we’re trying to do, get them back in the mix and go out every night and get better as a team.

“The results are going to happen. We are a very results-oriented leadership team. This group of players wants to win. We just got done out of a team huddle talking about the second half (of the season) and how we’re going to do everything we can to make a run. That’s absolutely the expectation but again, realistic about things we can’t control. If we can get ourselves into a playoff position with the first half of the season we’ve had what an incredible accomplishment that would be and something I think we would be really proud of.”

Injury updates

Clarendon was activated Sunday and is expected to play in Thursday’s road game against the Minnesota Lynx. The 32-year-old veteran spent four weeks recovering from a partial tear of the right plantar fascia. Clarendon, a point guard by trade, was the team’s starting small forward before being injured in a 77-62 home win against Chicago on June 9.

Brown practiced before and after last weekend’s All-Star break. Brown, who has not played since a 79-61 win at Dallas on June 14, will travel with the team for its two-game trip to Minnesota and Dallas (Saturday) but is currently listed as day-to-day after recovering from an undisclosed non-COVID illness.

“Lexie is day-to-day but she’s on the trip and she practiced (Tuesday), got up and down the floor, which was great. Looked good actually and is excited and motivated to make a comeback so may see her Thursday. If not Thursday, hopefully by the end of the week at Dallas,” Bryant shared.

Sparks forward Chiney Ogwumike, who has not played since an 80-83 loss at Chicago on June 28, is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, as she rehabs a lingering Achilles injury, according to Bryant.

Sparks guard Nia Clouden, who has not played since the mid-June win in Dallas, remains out with a shin injury, according to Bryant. Her recovery timetable has not been disclosed.

Year One

Miller and Bryant believe their first year will eventually be viewed as the cultural foundation for the future success of the franchise. Both are committed to trusting the process and cultivating relationships.

“We’re in that three-month period where we’re passed that honeymoon stage and everything is loving and everybody is so new and fun and you have that honeymoon stage,” Miller shared. “We’re continuing to learn each other and continuing to grow. Our relationships are very, very new so we know we still have work ahead of us but excited with where we’ve come and where we have the potential to grow.”

Bryant echoed much of that.

“You’d never wish the kind of season we’ve had so far on to anybody and I hope it becomes an anomaly, something we don’t have to experience again, but I do believe there will be a day when we look back on this and have a deep appreciation for how we evolved as an organization during this timeframe,” Bryant added. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we know it’s going to be worth it. That’s a key message for all of us, keep pouring in, pouring into the process, pouring into each other and the dividends will be there and they already are there. We just have to make sure we’re continuing to measure them in lots of ways but the wins are going to come.”

LA Sparks GM Karen Bryant said the organization wants to make the WNBA playoffs. Coach Curt Miller added he was not hired to tank and that the @LASparks will be a tough out if they make the playoffs. But @CurtMillerWBB said if Sparks don’t make the playoffs, they hope the lottery… pic.twitter.com/jmSEmVlpm1

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 18, 2023