WNBA: Los Angeles Sparks want to discover success versus Las Vegas Aces

The WNBA will play a set of Commissioner’s Cup video games Thursday night; the Las Vegas Aces (1-0) handle the Los Angeles Sparks (1-0) and the Minnesota Lynx (0-2) play the Phoenix Mercury (0-2). The Aces and Sparks will be transmitted on CBS Sports Network, while the Lynx and Mercury can be enjoyed by means of Amazon Prime Video. Both video games will tip-off at 10 p.m. ET.

Under brand-new head coach Curt Miller, the Sparks left to an excellent start to their season, smoothly beating the Mercury in your home behind their beginning frontcourt of Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, who integrated to tape 32 points and 11 rebounds. The Sparks likewise got essential contributions from guards Lexie Brown, Zia Cooke and Karlie Samuelson — each of whom struck several 3-pointers — and turned the ball over simply 6 times.

Los Angeles will require all of that and more on Thursday when it hosts the safeguarding WNBA champ Aces, a group the Sparks have actually struggled strongly versus over the last few years. In reality, the Sparks have actually not beaten the Aces given that 2019 (Across the Timeline), and last season it was an especially one-sided match, with Las Vegas outscoring Los Angeles by 21.1 points per 100 belongings in 4 Aces wins.

The Aces dealt with the Seattle Storm to a comparable beatdown in their 2023 opener, beating the Storm by 41 points in the most uneven outcome of the season so far. Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum blazed a trail with 23 points each, while ruling WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson broke in a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. In her highly-anticipated Aces launching, Candace Parker tape-recorded 12 points, 5 helps, and 3 blocks in 23 minutes of play, while the group as an entire hit 11-of-18 3-pointers and outrebounded Seattle 50-32.

It was a declaration made to the remainder of the WNBA: The Aces are simply as excellent as last season, if not much better, and are all set to protect their title. On Thursday, the new-look Sparks will have their work cut out for them — especially on the protective end of the court, as they attempt to confine the Aces’ unequaled levels of offending playmaking.

Elsewhere, both the Mercury and Lynx have actually left to slow starts to the season, though they’re at extremely various phases in their particular franchise trajectories. Having invited Brittney Griner back to expert basketball, Phoenix would like absolutely nothing more than to eject another winning season throughout the golden of Diana Taurasi’s profession, however injuries and other lacks have actually hindered the group’s depth and its capability to assemble constant lineups.

The Lynx, on the other hand, remain in full-fledged reconstruct mode, with forward Napheesa Collier and novice wing Diamond Miller their 2 foundation. Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve hasn’t precisely concealed that the Lynx would rather establish gamers for the future than attempt to contend for a playoff look, and as such, anticipate her group’s rotations to be unstable for the very first part of the 2023 WNBA season.

Game info

Las Vegas Aces (1-0) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (1-0)

When: 10:00 p.m. ET

Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA

How to view: CBS Sports Network, Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network

Aces injury report: Riquna Williams (out; back)

Sparks injury report: Jasmine Thomas (out; knee), Azurá Stevens (out; back), Katie Lou Samuelson (out; pregnancy)

Minnesota Lynx (0-2) vs. Phoenix Mercury (0-2)

When: 10:00 p.m. ET

Where: Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ

How to view: Amazon Prime Video, AZ Family 3TV, AZ Family Sports Network 44, Bally Sports North

Lynx injury report: Natalie Achonwa (not with group; maternity leave)

Mercury injury report: Shey Peddy (out; Achilles), Megan Gustafson (out; foot), Skylar Diggins-Smith (not with group; maternity leave)