The LA Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury in their second preseason game
The LA Sparks secured their second victory in the 2024 WNBA preseason with a 98-85 win over the Phoenix Mercury. Dearica Hamby and Zia Cooke led the charge for the Sparks, contributing 21 points.
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The Sparks capitalized on the absence of several key Mercury players, including Sophie Cunningham, Brittney Griner, Christyn Williams and Morgan Bertsch. They showcased their depth with 14 of their 15 players scoring during the game.
LA dominated various offensive aspects, including points in the paint (32-28), fastbreak points (16-8) and second-chance points (17-7).
The Sparks dominated the boards, grabbing 40 rebounds compared to the Mercury's 20. No Mercury player managed at least five rebounds, with starting center Natasha Mack finishing scoreless and with only four rebounds.
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For the Mercury, Kahleah Copper and Diana Taurasi led the scoring with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, made an impression in the limited minutes she played.
She appeared in less than eight minutes but tallied seven points, four rebounds and two assists while not missing a shot from the field. All of her rebounds were offensive rebounds.
LA Sparks vs Phoenix Mercury player stats and box score
LA Sparks player stats and box score
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PLAYER
MIN
FGM
FGA
FG%
3PM
3PA
3P%
FTM
FTA
FT%
OREB
DREB
REB
AST
TOV
STL
BLK
PF
PTS
+/-
DEARICA HAMBY C
23:29
6
12
50.0
1
2
50.0
8
8
100
2
5
7
3
2
2
0
1
21
20
ZIA COOKE
20:13
5
9
55.6
3
5
60.0
8
8
100
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
21
0
LEXIE BROWN G
19:47
3
7
42.9
3
7
42.9
1
1
100
0
1
1
3
2
1
0
0
10
13
RICKEA JACKSON
18:34
1
6
16.7
0
2
0.0
0
0
0.0
2
4
6
1
2
0
1
1
2
-1
AARI MCDONALD
17:40
4
6
66.7
3
5
60.0
0
0
0.0
1
0
1
3
6
0
0
0
11
4
KIA NURSE F
17:11
3
4
75.0
2
2
100
0
0
0.0
0
2
2
1
0
0
2
2
8
14
STEPHANIE TALBOT
15:52
0
2
0.0
0
0
0.0
1
2
50.0
1
2
3
3
1
2
1
2
1
0
LI YUERU
11:33
0
2
0.0
0
0
0.0
1
2
50.0
0
5
5
0
1
0
0
1
1
-12
MONIQUE BILLINGS
10:56
1
1
100
0
0
0.0
2
2
100
1
5
6
1
1
0
1
3
4
10
LAYSHIA CLARENDON G
10:53
1
4
25.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
3
3
0
1
3
0
1
2
2
RAE BURRELL
8:26
1
1
100
0
0
0.0
4
5
80.0
1
1
2
0
0
1
0
1
6
10
CAMERON BRINK F
7:49
3
3
100
0
0
0.0
1
1
100
4
0
4
2
1
0
0
4
7
4
BLAKE DIETRICK
6:29
1
1
100
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
2
2
MCKENZIE FORBES
6:10
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
-6
NIA CLOUDEN
4:58
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
2
2
100
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
1
2
5
TOTALS
29
58
50.0
12
23
52.2
28
31
90.3
12
30
42
20
21
10
5
17
98
13
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Phoenix Mercury player stats and box score
PLAYER
MIN
FGM
FGA
FG%
3PM
3PA
3P%
FTM
FTA
FT%
OREB
DREB
REB
AST
TOV
STL
BLK
PF
PTS
+/-
DIANA TAURASI F
21:00
5
10
50.0
2
5
40.0
1
2
50.0
0
1
1
1
0
2
0
2
13
2
REBECCA ALLEN F
18:18
3
6
50.0
3
5
60.0
0
0
0.0
1
1
2
1
3
3
0
4
9
2
NATASHA MACK C
15:09
0
2
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
1
3
4
0
2
1
3
4
0
-2
KAHLEAH COPPER G
23:37
5
12
41.7
3
5
60.0
3
3
100
0
2
2
3
5
1
1
1
16
-15
NATASHA CLOUD G
23:21
2
7
28.6
1
2
50.0
2
2
100
1
2
3
3
1
3
0
4
7
-12
SUG SUTTON
16:54
3
5
60.0
0
0
0.0
1
2
50.0
0
0
0
5
1
1
0
0
7
-1
BELLA MUREKATETE
16:40
0
2
0.0
0
0
0.0
2
2
100
1
1
2
0
0
2
1
6
2
-2
MIKIAH HERBERT HARRIGAN
14:33
3
4
75.0
3
3
100
0
0
0.0
0
2
2
3
0
0
0
2
9
-2
AMY ATWELL
15:03
3
7
42.9
2
5
40.0
0
1
0.0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
8
-12
JAZ SHELLEY
11:35
0
4
0.0
0
4
0.0
0
0
0.0
3
0
3
1
2
0
0
0
0
-4
CHARISMA OSBORNE
9:00
1
3
33.3
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
2
-9
MYA HOLLINGSHED
7:25
1
2
50.0
1
2
50.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
-5
ARIEL HEARN
7:25
1
1
100
1
1
100
6
6
100
0
1
1
2
1
1
0
2
9
-5
TOTALS
27
65
41.5
16
32
50.0
15
18
83.3
7
13
20
20
16
14
6
30
85
-13
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Rookies make LA Sparks' 2024 WNBA campaign more exciting
With both the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers now out of the NBA playoffs, basketball enthusiasts in LA can redirect their attention to the WNBA and show their support for the Sparks.
Fans will have the opportunity to witness the growth of rookie center Cameron Brink, who possesses strong defensive skills and scoring ability. Brink could be a key asset as the Sparks aim to end their three-season playoff drought.
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Brink had an impressive collegiate career, earning the Pac-12 Player of the Year honor twice and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year thrice.
In her final season in college, Brink averaged 17.8 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 2.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game. Her shooting percentages were 51.4% from the field, 29.4% from the 3-point range and 83.6% from the free-throw line.
Additionally, fans can look forward to seeing rookie Rickea Jackson from Tennessee, who averaged 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in her final college year.
The Sparks will commence their 2024 regular season campaign on May 15 against the Atlanta Dream.
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About the author
John Ezekiel Hirro
John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.
He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.
A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.
He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.
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