The Dallas Wings are riding a red-hot five-game win streak right into Sunday’s matchup at College Park Center, facing off against a Los Angeles Sparks squad that’s seriously struggling to find its footing. Dallas, sitting at a strong 16-8, is looking to extend that run against the 10-13 Sparks in a noon CDT clash. This is huge for the Wings, who haven’t played in a week and are right in the middle of a three-game homestand.
Dallas Is Playing With Fire
The Wings are on an absolute tear, man. Their last game, a 96-91 victory over Chicago on July 12, just showed how locked in they are. And get this: when they faced the Sparks back on June 5, Dallas dominated with a 104-96 win, powered by Arike Ogunbowale dropping a massive 30 points. That’s a serious statement! The team’s been winning thanks to a sweet balance between their backcourt and frontcourt, with Jessica Shepard, Awak Kuier, and Li Yeuru all stepping up. But there’s a slight snag: forward Alanna Smith, who had to leave that Chicago game with a lower leg injury, is listed as doubtful for Sunday. It’s their first game in a week and then they have a rescheduled game against New York on Monday, so this long layoff and back-to-back could mess with their rhythm and conditioning. Let’s hope they keep that fire lit!
LA’s Rollercoaster Ride and Key Absences
Meanwhile, the Sparks are just trying to survive a brutal four-game road trip. They’ve dropped games to Atlanta and New York, and then got slapped 96-82 by Chicago on Friday, even with Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby putting up 18 points each. Ogwumike, who just became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer Friday, is still balling in her 15th season, hitting over 40% from deep and averaging 20.5 points over her last nine games. She’s a legit force. But here’s the kicker: Kelsey Plum, their leading scorer this season, has been out since June 21 with a lower left leg injury and has only played 12 games this year. She’s getting re-evaluated at the end of the month, but that’s a massive hole in their offense. Cameron Brink, the 2024 second overall pick, just returned July 15 from a month-long left ankle sprain, and she brings game-altering rim protection and much-needed rebounding. So you’d think things would improve, right? Nope. The Sparks have actually *collapsed* in both games Brink has played in, totally limited by minutes restrictions and foul trouble. Before Brink’s return, they even blew a double-digit lead against the Dream, taking a lead with 4:17 left only to lose by nine to a bigger Atlanta team. It’s been tough sledding for them.
Dallas has that rescheduled New York game looming on Monday, meaning back-to-back games after a full week off. Can they sustain this incredible momentum and extend that five-game win streak, or will the Sparks finally click with Brink back in the lineup? It’s going to be a battle to see if LA can pull themselves out of this funk or if Dallas just keeps on rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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