LOS ANGELES — The Sparks have never beaten the Minnesota Lynx during Curt Miller’s tenure as the team’s head coach.
The Sparks (5-16) are 0-2 against the Lynx this season, including an 86-62 blowout loss at home on June 5 and an 81-76 loss on the road on June 14. That road defeat was the second loss of the team’s recent eight-game losing streak. The Sparks lost all four games against the Lynx last season, leaving Miller 0-6 against them during his time in L.A.
Sparks All-Star forward Dearica Hamby had a team-high 25 points and nine rebounds in Sunday’s 84-78 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Hamby believes the Sparks must play with more poise against the Lynx on Tuesday night to close out the team’s four-game homestand with a win.
“We talk about the composure at the end of the game or having slippage in one of the quarters to close out and it hurt us (Sunday night),” Hamby said.
The Lynx (15-6) are coming off a 74-67 victory over the Washington Mystics on Sunday despite being without All-Star forward Napheesa Collier, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury. Collier had 30 points in the last outing against the Sparks.
The Sparks have lost nine of their last 10 games, the only win being an overtime victory over the Las Vegas Aces last week.
“I’m frustrated, not necessarily with wins and losses. I’m frustrated that we didn’t play like we’re capable of playing,” Miller said after Sunday’s setback. “I don’t think we played with the same spirit. I didn’t think we played with the same intensity.
“I thought we were poor board to court (Sunday night). The focus. The number one thing that you realize as a coach when there’s a lack of focus is when you struggle coming out of a timeout. When you look them in the eye, you diagram something and they come out and they don’t know where they’re supposed to be or they don’t execute. That is a frustrating thing for a coach, you pride yourself on the ATO’s (after timeouts). If we don’t play…
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