LOS ANGELES — The Sparks started the season with the mantra "time to show." Center Liz Cambage, coming off an unceremonious split with the Australian national team before the Tokyo Olympics and moving to her fourth WNBA team, was credited with pitching the slogan to the marketing team and her teammates. With the controversial star gone, the Sparks have quickly adopted a new rallying cry.
"Just stick together," Nneka Ogwumike said Thursday after the Sparks lost 90-80 to the Phoenix Mercury in their first game since Cambage's abrupt departure. "It was another obstacle for us to figure out how we can stick together, and that's really what it's all about. That's kind of been our motto this whole season."
Trying to overcome the ups and downs of a tumultuous season, the Sparks are now trying to just keep pace in a tight postseason race. They hit another speed bump with Thursday's loss as they slipped to seventh behind Phoenix (13-16), which jumped from eighth to sixth. The Sparks (12-16) are tied with Dallas for the final two playoff positions, with Atlanta (12-17) only a half-game out.
