Backcourts will determine if Sparks stay in playoff picture as they host Silver Stars

The return of Candace Parker has brought a renewed enthusiasm and hope to the L.A. Sparks, but it most likely won’t be CP3 that determines if the Sparks remain afloat in the Western Conference tonight.  The Sparks host the San Antonio Silver Stars, who they trail by two games, with three remaining.  San Antonio took two of the three meetings between the two this year, winning once at home and once in Los Angeles.  In both of their wins, the Stars’ guards put on a show.

On June 24, in San Antonio, Becky Hammon and Jia Perkins combined for 53 of the team’s 90 points (58%), while L.A. only got 18 out of the combination of Ticha Penicheiro, Noelle Quinn and Kristi Toliver.  San Antonio won, 90-80.

A similar result happened on July 18 in Los Angeles, with Hammon and Perkins again scoring more than half of their team’s points, 40 of 79 (51%).   The L.A. group of Penicheiro, Quinn, Toliver, and Natasha Lacy contributed 20 points in that game.   San Antonio won this one, 79-69.

In between, however, on July 12, was a different story.  L.A.’s guards contributed more offensively, and defended well.  Hammon and Perkins only had 19 of the team’s 74 points (26%) and Hammon only had five of them.  The Sparks, however, got 18 from Penicheiro, 13 from Lacy, five from Toliver and seven from Quinn for a total of 43 points, 51% of the Sparks’ 84, in an 84-74 L.A. victory.

Clearly, with all three games being decided by exactly 10 points each, each team cannot allow the guard play to get so strong as to dominate the offense.  The front lines, with S.A.’s Sophia Young-Ruth Riley-Danielle Adams matching up with L.A.’s Candace Parker-Tina Thompson-DeLisha Milton-Jones can pretty much be expected to be a push, meaning the back courts will decide it once again.

Can the Sparks stop the Silver Stars’ offense?  They will have to if they want to be playing for their playoff life later this week.