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,…
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