The Los Angeles Sparks will look to build on perhaps their biggest win of the year as they welcome the Atlanta Dream to Crypto.com Arena tonight.
With the lowly Atlanta Dream in town, The Sparks are expected to continue their strong form of play. The Dream have been the worst offensive team in the league, averaging only 75.9 ppg. Even their slow pace doesn’t fully explain this, as they're also last in the WNBA in offensive rating (95.2) and effective field goal percentage (45.2%).
Atlanta does have talent, but it shows mostly on the defensive end. Allisha Gray (16.0 ppg), Rhyne Howard (15.9 ppg), and Tina Charles (14.6 ppg) are all capable two-way players but haven’t had enough support to hang with most of the league’s playoff contenders.
The Sparks aren’t an offensive juggernaut either, but Dearica Hamby (17.9 ppg) is a true star who can give anyone fits, as she did in scoring 21 points against the Liberty on Wednesday. That lack of scoring punch will make it hard for the Dream to put away the Sparks tonight. Atlanta has lost four straight and now faces a team that has covered four of its last five games.
Game Preview
The Atlanta Dream (10-21) will hope to break an eight-game road losing streak when visiting the Los Angeles Sparks (7-24) on Sunday, September 1, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena, airing at 7:00 PM ET on SportsNet LA and Peachtree TV.
The Sparks have gone 5-10 at home. Los Angeles has a 3-16 record against teams above .500.
The Dream are 4-11 on the road. Atlanta is fifth in the Eastern Conference scoring 32.3 points per game in the paint led by Tina Charles averaging 8.2.
Los Angeles is shooting 42.7% from the field this season, 0.2 percentage points higher than the 42.5% Atlanta allows to opponents. Atlanta averages 5.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 fewer made shots on average than the 8.2 per game Los Angeles gives up.
The two teams match up for the third time this season. The Dream defeated the Sparks 87-74 in their last meeting on June 16. Allisha Gray led the Dream with 25 points, and Rickea Jackson led the Sparks with 16 points.
Key Players
Los Angeles Sparks
- Rickea Jackson is averaging 12.6 points for the Sparks.
Atlanta Dream
- Allisha Gray is averaging 16 points for the Dream.
Recent Form
Los Angeles Sparks: 2-8, averaging 80.1 points, 31.8 rebounds, 20.2 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 43.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 88.2 points per game.
Atlanta Dream: 3-7, averaging 76.8 points, 38.8 rebounds, 17.7 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 40.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 79.9 points.
Injuries
Los Angeles Sparks: Julie Allemand: out for season (ankle), Cameron Brink: out for season (acl), Lexie Brown: out (illness).
Atlanta Dream: Aerial Powers: out (calf ).
Betting Odds
The line for this game is Los Angeles Sparks +3.5. The Atlanta Dream are favored to win this game.
Prediction
The Atlanta Dream should be favored because they’ll have the best player on the floor, and they’re the healthier team. However, the Sparks are the more experienced team and have a better record against teams above .500. The game should be close, but the Sparks should be able to pull out a win.
Where to Watch
This matchup is at 7:00 PM ET on SportsNet LA and Peachtree TV. The game can also be streamed on WNBA League Pass on Amazon Prime Video.
Final Thoughts
The Atlanta Dream are the worst offensive team in the league, and they've lost their last four games. The Los Angeles Sparks have been struggling as well, but they're a better team at home. I'm taking the Sparks to win this game outright, but I'm also interested in the over, as the Sparks have been playing high-scoring games recently. Fans can also find tickets for any WNBA game at Ticketmaster, StubHub or Vivid Seats.
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