Sparks vs. Sun Preview: Sparks Struggling with Injuries & Li Yueru a Bright Spot, Sun Have Opportunity to End Losing Streak

On September 9 at 9 AM, the WNBA regular season continues with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Connecticut Sun. Both teams have been struggling recently and are currently on losing streaks, so it will be interesting to see which team can break their losing spell.

The Los Angeles Sparks’ performance this season has been poor, winning only one of their last eleven games. Interestingly, that win was against the league-leading Liberty. The Sparks have suffered seven consecutive losses, and they are now on a three-game losing streak after being thoroughly defeated by the Sky in their last game. Only two players scored in double digits for the Sparks, with Hamby scoring 21 points and 5 assists, and Jackson scoring 17 points and 6 rebounds. Chinese player Li Yueru contributed 9 points and 3 rebounds. Currently, the Sparks have a record of 7 wins and 27 losses, placing them last in the league.

This season, the Sparks have struggled both offensively and defensively, averaging only 78.8 points per game, ranking third from the bottom in the league. The Sparks are also facing a significant injury crisis, with Brink, Clayton, and Brown already out, and the team has announced that McDonald and Clarendon will also miss the game against the Sun. With few players available, this situation puts the spotlight on Chinese player Li Yueru, who has received positive evaluations from American media. She regained her form in the last game, and it remains to be seen if she can deliver impressive performances in the final few games of the season.

The Connecticut Sun’s performance this season has been relatively good, with a current record of 24 wins and 10 losses, placing them third in the league with a chance to move up to second place. However, the Sun’s momentum has slowed down recently, suffering consecutive losses to the Storm and the Aces, which cost them their second-place position. In their last game against the Aces, despite having an absolute advantage in the first half, they were dramatically overturned in the second half. Only three players scored in double digits for the Sun, with Jones scoring 17 points and 6 rebounds, Mabrey scoring 15 points, and Bonner scoring 11 points and 9 rebounds.

This season, the Sun’s defensive performance has been strong, allowing an average of only 74.5 points per game, leading the league. Even though they lost both of their last two games, they only gave up 71 and 72 points respectively, indicating that their losses were due to offensive issues. However, the Sun lack a superstar, with six players averaging double-digit points but none scoring more than 15.9 points. This often exposes their disadvantage in close games. Nonetheless, this matchup against the struggling Sparks presents a good opportunity for the Sun to end their losing streak.

This is the third meeting between these two teams this season, with the Sun winning both previous encounters, although the margins were close, within 10 points. Clearly, the Sparks do have a chance to pull off an upset, depending on the players’ performance on the day.

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