Phoenix Mercury welcome playoff race with home matchup against Los Angeles Sparks
The Mercury proved in its last game that the team isn’t down and out just yet.
Even when the playoff-bound Seattle Storm came through on a special night for both teams, the Mercury (12-16) zeroed in on the postseason race and cranked out a massive win against the Storm.
“If we can beat them, we have the potential to beat anyone in this league when we play together like that,” Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard said after Friday’s 94-78 win.
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The heroics will be needed in the upcoming stretch that will feature teams vying for the postseason, including the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday at Footprint Center.
If the season ended today, the Sparks would be the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. But the race remains tight as ever with the Mercury, Dallas Wings, and Atlanta Dream all within a half-game from the Sparks. The Mercury are currently out of the playoffs at No. 9 with eight games remaining including Thursday’s game.
Mercury need to win against the Sparks to ensure the Sparks don’t control its playoff destiny. The Sparks have a 2-1 series edge over the Mercury and a loss would force the Sparks to move onto the next tiebreaker for a spot. If the Mercury win and the race comes to a tie between the teams, the tiebreaker between the teams would be the record against teams .500 or better.
It’s no secret that Skylar Diggins-Smith has been playing a spectacular season. In the last four games since her All-Star appearance, Diggins-Smith has averaged 26.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. Friday’s game saw Diggins-Smith match her career high with 35 points.
Diggins-Smith and the rest of the starters will continue to log heavy minutes with wing Diamond DeShields still nursing a left hip injury. DeShields was ruled out by the team ahead of the game.
The Sparks (12-15) have been in the news lately after the team and its star center Liz Cambage agreed to a contract divorce on Tuesday. Without the 6-foot-9 center, the Sparks will adjust to small-ball style much like the Mercury did following Tina Charles’ contract divorce.
When Cambage was out for two games due to COVID-19 protocols earlier this month, the Sparks went 1-1 and had Chiney Ogwumike starting at center. Ogwumike missed the Sparks' previous game with a non-COVID illness.
The absence of Cambage wasn’t telling as the Sparks lost to the first-place Chicago Sky and won against the last-place Indiana Fever.
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Against the Sparks, Mercury center Brianna Turner has played some of her best games. In nine games, Turner has hit 33 field goals, her second-most against any team in the league. Her 18 steals are her most against any team. This season, Turner has averaged 7.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in three games.
Injuries have gripped the Sparks down the stretch, including Lexie Brown and Kristi Toliver missing the previous game with Chiney Ogwumike.
Even with a star player gone, forward Nneka Ogwumike has provided consistency for the Sparks. The All-Star forward has averaged 20.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in the last four games.
With both teams playing shorthanded and playoff hopes on the line, Thursday will not be short of intensity.
Reach the reporter at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com or 602-647-4122. Follow her on Twitter @jennarortiz.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury host LA Sparks, post-contract divorce with Liz Cambage
