TORRANCE — Zia Cooke and Azurá Stevens believe the Sparks, now that they’re home, can put an end to their losing streak.
“It’s been tough,” Cooke said of the team’s seven-game winless road trip. “I think for all of us, it’s been a little bit of frustration but the biggest thing for us all is to stay together, continue to stay connected and understand that it’s hard to win in this league. But if we want to do it, we have to stay connected and really get it done.”
“A lot of things we can control,” said Stevens, a veteran forward-center who has not played this season due to injury. “I think most important is defensively. We have to get stops more.”
“Letting our defense create our offense, in my mind,” Cooke added. “I think that’s something that would be huge for us. Actually, making teams feel us. We have to make these teams feel us and fight back.”
Even with a roster limited by injuries and down to nine players until Stevens’ impending return, Sparks coach Curt Miller said he focused on the positive aspect of having fewer active players.
“There’s some good that comes with lower numbers because everyone knows that their number is going to get called and they’re going to get an opportunity,” Miller said.
A bright spot lately has been Cooke, the team’s 2023 first-round selection out of South Carolina. The second-year combo guard has scored 31 points in her past three games after scoring 25 points in her first 12 games.
Cooke’s playing time has recently increased to 17 minutes per game off the bench. She said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s words of wisdom helped her remain patient when she was not playing consistent minutes.
“It was hard for sure,” the 5-foot-9 Cooke said. “Definitely very hard, but I don’t fear anything but God. I pray a lot. I take my time with things. I continued to stay in the gym and did everything I needed to do.
“I talked to all my mentors to help me out during that time, just being ready when my number was called was my biggest thing and executing that and further on down the line, that’s what I want to continue to do.”
The Sparks have allowed 94.3 points per game over their past three games, including a 92-78 loss at Phoenix on Friday. Sparks forward Dearica Hamby scored 21 of her game-high 29 points in the first half as the Sparks led 45-44 at the break but could not overcome the Mercury’s second-half surge.
“We didn’t always answer the call, but you can relate that first half to the preparation intent of the game plan going in,” Miller continued. “Now we’ve got to find ways to sustain it when good teams figure out what we’re trying to do, make their own adjustments, turn up their intensity. Can we answer that? We haven’t been able to during this road trip but anxious to continue to get better, put together two halves and look forward to that next win with this group would be really rewarding for them.”
During the team’s road trip, the Sparks have lost more than games over the past three weeks. Rookie forward Cameron Brink, one of the team’s top interior defenders, suffered a season-ending torn left ACL injury on June 18. Sparks guard Lexie Brown, one of the team’s best outside shooters, was also ruled out indefinitely Thursday due to Crohn’s disease.
The Sparks (4-14) are back in Los Angeles for a four-game homestand, which begins against the Washington Mystics (4-15) on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. The team, which is 1-10 on the road, has fared better at home with a 3-4 record.
The Sparks defeated the Mystics 70-68 on May 18, as Hamby (17 points and 18 rebounds) led the Sparks to the team’s first win after a 0-2 start. The Mystics began the season 0-12 but have since gone 4-3, with Ariel Atkins averaging 14.4 points per game.
The teams occupy the bottom two spots in the WNBA’s 12-team standings, but someone will leave Crypto.com Arena with their fifth win.
Stevens anticipates season debut
Stevens, who is back as a full-contact participant practice, told the Southern California News Group she believes she will make her season debut before the WNBA Olympic break July 21.
“It’s so exciting,” said the 6-foot-6 Stevens, who averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds while starting 29 of 35 games in her first season with the Sparks last year. “We are still fluctuating on the date that I’ll be back, but just being back with my team at practice every day has been really nice, really exciting.
“I’ve been working really hard to get back to this moment. I feel really good, so I’m just excited to get out there and try to help my team any way that I can.”
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Stevens, 28, missed the first two months of the season while recovering from surgery to repair a left arm injury she suffered playing in China during the offseason. The seven-year veteran believes the Sparks can fix the mistakes that have prevented them from winning a game since June 9.
“She brings a veteran presence, brings that three-level scorer,” Miller explained. “She brings that knowledge of how you play in this league. She’s a very smart player, so I’m excited for our group to have someone like her back on the floor. She may not be the Azurá we all expect Day One, but it’s fun to have her back in practice and getting closer and closer to be able to play in games.”
WASHINGTON (4-15) AT SPARKS (4-14)
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: Spectrum SportsNet