Path to the WNBA Finals: Los Angeles Sparks
With a 26-8 regular season record, the Los Angeles Sparks head into the 2017 WNBA Finals as the #2 seed and will face the Minnesota Lynx in the best-of-five WNBA Finals series. Here’s a look at how the Sparks got to this point.
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- With Candace Parker, Jantel Lavender and Essence Carson all in the midst of playing overseas, the Sparks opened up their 2017 campaign with a 78-68 victory at home against the Seattle Storm. The reigning WNBA MVP, Nneka Ogwumike led the way with 23 points and three steals.
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- Chelsea Gray put up career highs in points, assists, steals, field goals made, three-pointers made, free throws made and minutes over the course of the 2017 season. Her career high for points and field goals made came in May: 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting in a 75-73 loss to the Atlanta Dream.
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- The Sparks held on for an 89-87 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, as Diana Taurasi missed a potential game-winning three pointer in the game’s final seconds. In the Sparks’ narrowest margin of victory of the season, Nneka Ogwumike led the way with a 4×4, notching 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
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- The Sparks won their eighth game in a row, defeating the Washington Mystics 76-69. The win came after an impressive 8-1 record in the month of June for the Sparks, en route to head coach Brian Agler being named WNBA Coach of the Month.
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- Three Sparks were selected for the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game. Candace Parker (who was voted in as a starter) scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in her fourth All-Star appearance. Fellow fourth-time All-Star, Nneka Ogwumike, also displayed efficient scoring, putting up 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting. First-time All-Star Chelsea Gray played 16 minutes, scoring 11 points and dishing out four assists.
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- Candace Parker made WNBA history in the Sparks’ 85-73 victory over the San Antonio Stars. Parker put up 11 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists, becoming the sixth WNBA player ever to record a triple-double. Parker would end up earning her third WNBA Player of the Week honors of the season.
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- With a 70-64 road victory over the Minnesota Lynx, the Sparks clinched their 17th ever playoff berth – the most out of any team in WNBA history. Sparks guard Chelsea Gray led the team, going 8-for-17 with a game-high 23 points.
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- In a tight matchup, the Sparks prevailed in a 115-106 overtime victory over the Chicago Sky. A current candidate for 2017 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Alana Beard recorded her second five-steal game of the season, the first one having come on Opening Night. Chelsea Gray contributed in a big way as well, notching her first double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.
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- Candace Parker led all players with 36 minutes on the court, recording a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-67 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. This performance helped Parker capture her fourth (22nd overall) WNBA Player of the Week honors of the season as well as WNBA Player of the Month for the month of August. Parker put up 19.6 PPG in August, in addition to averaging 6.5 RPG with three double-doubles in the month.
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- The Sparks finish their 2017 campaign winning their final seven games, culminating with a 81-70 victory over the Sun in their final game of the 2017 regular season. Los Angeles finishes with a 26-8 record for the season, including a WNBA-best 16-1 record at home. These marks helped the Sparks capture the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs and also earned them a bye into the Semifinal Round.
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- Alana Beard was named the 2017 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year prior to Game 1 against the Mercury. Beard led the WNBA in steals for the first time, averaging 2.09 per game while starting all 34 of Los Angeles’ games. It was her first honor in her 12-year career.
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- Nneka Ogwueke paced the LA offense in Game 1 against the Mercury, scoring a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds.
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- Candace Parker fueled the Sparks, as they won Game 2, 86-72. Parker led the floor with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.
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- Odyssey Sims had a leading 22 points in the Sparks closeout Game 3 victory over the Mercury. Parker also added 21 points, including the game-winning basket with 2.9 seconds left.
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- The Sparks and Lynx will battle in the WNBA Finals for the second consecutive season. The Sparks knocked off the Lynx in five games in 2016.
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