Sparks’ quick rematch with Sun provides playoff-like challenges – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES — The Sparks are out of contention for a playoff spot, but that’s not dissuading head coach Curt Miller from preparing as if his team is in the thick of a postseason series. Especially when the schedule lines up in that way.

“With us not in the playoffs, we’re treating this back-to-back like a playoff series,” Miller said on Sunday about the team’s consecutive home games against the Connecticut Sun.

After losing to the Sun, 79-67, on Sunday, the teams will square off again on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The Sparks can view their next opponent in this “playoff series” light as well, as they will host the Seattle Storm on Wednesday before facing the Storm again on Sunday in Seattle. These stretches present the Sparks with a chance to hone in on a single opponent for an extended period, to watch film, learn from mistakes and apply adjustments in the rematch.

With the Sun, specifically, that means limiting second-chance points, points in the paint and points created off turnovers. The Sparks, Miller said, mostly executed in those categories throughout the first 30 minutes on Sunday but were unable to close the game.

The last-place Sparks (7-28) now get another shot at the Sun (25-10), another opportunity to tighten up in those facets and rewrite those final moments.

The Sun have an advantage in size and length, and they outscored the Sparks 50-24 in the paint. Connecticut clogs the middle with shot blockers such as Brionna Jones and Alissa Thomas.

The Sparks countered this, Miller said, by hunting for shots. Rickea Jackson, who had a team-high 23 points, had success finding space for mid-range looks, but the Sparks struggled to score off of post-ups and drives when challenging Thomas and Jones.

That doesn’t, however, mean they should shy away from attacking the Sun in those ways.

“If we can get the ball to the paint,” Miller said, “then we can play out. We had trouble getting the ball to the paint.”

When the Sparks did get inside, it often resulted in Odyssey Sims rushing layups and Dearica Hamby forcing shots. The Sparks need to attack the middle as a way to collapse the defense and kick the ball out to their shooters. The Sparks shot 50 percent (7 for 14) from 3-point range Sunday, but Miller said he thought they should have attempted more perimeter shots.

Jackson was efficient, but she’s concerned the Sun will change their approach to guarding her.

“I know Connecticut isn’t going to let me do what I want, so I know I have to hit them first, go at them first,” she said.

Getting into the lane to create quality perimeter looks for Jackson and others will be an objective Tuesday.

Jackson’s favorite player might be the Sun’s DeWanna Bonner. She also admires guard DiJonai Carrington’s defensive effort. After two contests, though, she and the Sparks might be sick of the Sun’s wily veterans.

They can blame Miller for that. He helped develop those players when he coached the Sun from 2016-2022.

“What makes them special,” Miller said, “is they’re really smart X’s and O’s-wise.”

Connecticut dominates the paint, throwing safe entry passes from the wing and the high post, down low. Thomas and Jones take turns overpowering opponents. If their post-ups fail, they kick it back to the other, or swing it to shot creators such as Bonner and Carrington.

They also run actions to release Marina Mabrey, who has made the seventh most 3-point shots in the WNBA this season (82).

Miller was pleased with how the Sparks defended Mabrey.

“We did a pretty good job of getting the ball out of Marina’s hands,” he said. “We gave her attention in some ball screens.”