LOS ANGELES — Sparks coach Curt Miller has nothing but great things to say about his former Connecticut Sun team, which he guided to the WNBA Finals last season.

“I think (Connecticut) is the odds-on favorite to win it. I don’t care (if) I say that. I think Connecticut is loaded and so we know what’s coming through the door,” Miller said ahead of the Sparks’ Sunday game against the Sun.

However, Miller is equally impressed by the way his team has responded to adversity after playing 25% of the 40-game regular season. If the season ended today, the Sparks (5-5) would be a playoff team, something that hasn’t happened in Los Angeles since 2020.

“A quarter into the season, with the amount of adversity that we’ve had, the two season-ending injuries (Steph Talbot, ACL) and Katie Lou Samuelson (pregnancy) before we even started the season, and then everything that’s happened,” Miller said. “We have the most games missed by any team in the league and we’ve been in nine of our 10 games and are .500. If the season ended today, we’re a playoff team, which they haven’t been recently, so I think it’s a remarkable first quarter for us. I’m so proud of where they’ve put themselves. If we can get healthy again, let’s see what happens but I think we’re ahead of schedule and I think we’ve really performed well.”

Los Angeles Sparks head coach Curt Miller shares his assessment of his team after 10 games into the 2023 WNBA season. The Sparks are 5-5 overall and would be a playoff team if the season ended today. #WNBA #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/lEuth6Pqd8

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

Sparks point guard Jordin Canada finished with a regular-season career-high 22 points in the team’s 77-72 home loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.

The Sparks will host Connecticut (8-3) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. It’s the second game of a five-game homestand and the third in a stretch of six games in a 12-day span. Connecticut is led by a trio of talented forwards – Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner – who are averaging a combined 48.5 points and 23 rebounds per game.

“We have to lock in and move on, understand that obviously there are some things that we could work on,” Canada said. “We’re going to see (Minnesota) again (on Tuesday), but the schedule is crazy playing every other day. You just have to move forward, basketball is ups and downs. You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some, but it’s all about how you respond. We have an opportunity on Sunday to come back harder and respond.”

“There’s no time to sulk and be down about this game,” added Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, who nearly had a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds against the Lynx. “The WNBA keeps going.”

Sparks starters Jordin Canada and Dearica Hamby on moving forward after Friday’s 77-72 loss at home against the Minnesota Lynx and getting ready for Sunday’s home game against the Connecticut Sun. pic.twitter.com/lPvdbOq1gU

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

COOKE STARTS FOR BROWN

Sparks starting shooting guard Lexie Brown, who is averaging 13.3 points per game and shooting 42% from 3-point range, missed Friday’s loss to the Lynx with a non-COVID illness. Rookie guard Zia Cooke, the 10th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, made the first start of her career in Brown’s place.

Cooke finished with five points in 25 minutes and left the arena with some defensive pointers from Sparks legend Lisa Leslie.

“It felt good to be able to start for the first time,” Cooke said. “(Lisa Leslie) was giving me the best pointers, defensively telling me what I need to improve on, telling me everything I need to know and it made me feel good because it shows that she’s watching me out there. She’s not just here watching the game, but she’s actually paying attention to what I’m doing and giving me real feedback for me personally so I appreciate that.”

Ten games into her rookie season, Cooke said constructive feedback is paramount to her development.

“I know I don’t have it figured out and I like to get information. I like to be a sponge to the game,” she said. “This system is very hard to adjust to so it’s easier for me when I have people around me that are going to tell me the right things to do.”

Sparks rookie guard Zia Cooke on her first career start in the WNBA and what Sparks legend Lisa Leslie told her after the game. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/BIZp9gnpCd

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

LINEUP ADJUSTMENT

Layshia Clarendon, who started six games at small forward this season, suffered a partial tear of the right plantar fascia in the June 9 victory over Chicago. Clarendon is currently in a walking boot and will be out for approximately 4-6 weeks.

In Claredon’s absence, the Sparks have turned to a starting frontcourt that includes 6-foot-6 Azurá Stevens at small forward, 6-2 Nneka Ogwumike at power forward and the 6-3 Hamby at center.

I’m breaking down the Los Angeles Sparks 77-72 loss at home to the Minnesota Lynx and Jordin Canada’s new career-high of 22 points but more importantly it’s time to assess the Sparks after 10 games into the season. What’s your take on the 5-5 LA Sparks? #WNBA #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/qZmiqM1Gir

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 17, 2023

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