The Sparks have laid out a season’s worth of evidence as to why getting the No. 1 pick and drafting Paige Bueckers is crucial to this rebuild.
LOS ANGELES — The Sparks were in a tied game against the Seattle Storm with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. A half-quarter of execution could see them snap their five-game losing streak and earn their eighth win.
Instead, the Storm went on a 12-4 run and slammed the door shut on the Sparks, giving them their sixth straight loss in their penultimate home game.
It's a script that has unfolded all summer. The Sparks play well for three quarters and fail to execute down the stretch, resulting in a loss.
It's exhausting and frustrating, but it's reality.
The solution to these offensive woes, though, won't be found on the bench or in Curt Miller's coaching decisions. No, the solution to the Los Angeles guard problems can be found east in Storrs, Connecticut.
Enter Paige Bueckers, the presumed No. 1 pick in this year's WNBA draft. The UConn guard has been a phenom and star since her freshman year when she won countless accolades like Associated Press National Player of the Year over her peers, including Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
She dealt with injuries after that successful freshman season but has regained her health. Last season, she went on a tear, averaging 21.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, leading the Huskies to a Final Four appearance.
A player that can run the point and get their own shot is precisely what this Sparks' team lacks.
On Wednesday, when Los Angeles needed a bucket, there was no one to go to, so they did it by committee with bad results.
This sequence of events perfectly sums up the problem:
5:50 Odyssey Sims turnover
5:33 Rae Burrell offensive foul
4:55 Sims blocked
3:00 Azurá Stevens missed 3-pointer
2:20 Crystal Dangerfield turnover
1:52 Dangerfield turnover
0:41 Dearica Hamby lost ball turnover
Now, some of this is situational.
The Sparks currently have guards Aari McDonald, Lexie Brown and Layshia Clarendon all out, so they are forced to play hardship contract players like Sims and Crystal Dangerfield at the guard spots all game long.
Still, there was never a moment this season or even last year when one looked at Los Angeles' guard depth and felt comfortable with who was playing at that spot.
Over the last two seasons, the Sparks have played 11 guards across 77 games, ranging from bonafide starters like Jordin Canada to hardship contract players like Dangerfield. And yet, the Sparks are about to enter 2025 still searching for a long-term answer at that position.
On day one, Bueckers would not only be the starting guard but the face of the Sparks. Pairing her with bigs Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby and their wing Rickea Jackson could create a roster that could make the jump the Indiana Fever made this year, going from the worst team in the league to being playoff-bound.
Bueckers can create her own shot and with her on this roster, gone will be the days of three-, four-, five-minute runs where the Sparks fail to make a field goal.
Her off-ball movement is arguably her best quality. Whether coming off pindowns or relocating to the other side of the floor, she’s exhausting to guard for 24 seconds and if she doesn’t free herself up for a good look, the havoc she causes will allow other players to get open.
Though not a traditional point guard, when the ball is in Bueckers’ hands, her decision-making has improved yearly. Every season at UConn, her turnover numbers have gone down to just 1.5 per game as a junior despite her usage rate only going up.
While the Sparks would never imply or suggest they are tanking — and Curt Miller has loudly pushed back against the narrative — they've certainly placed themselves in a perfect situation to land this generational talent. They've already locked up the best odds for the No. 1 pick, with a 44.2% chance of winning the lottery.
Not drafting at No. 1 would be heartbreaking for the fanbase. And to be clear, Kiki Iriafen is a sensational player in her own right. She played for Stanford last season and averaged 19.4 points and 11 rebounds before transferring to USC in the spring and will likely be an incredible WNBA player.
It's just that Bueckers solves a problem the Sparks have had for years and has the potential to be not just good or serviceable but generational. Like Clark, Bueckers is a player you have the chance to draft just once in a generation.
This 1-12 record post-Olympic break has made it crystal clear that the biggest moment for the Sparks this year won't be any game on the court but the WNBA Lottery that will likely happen in December. The odds are in their favor, now it's just time to hope Bueckers can make the trip out West to fulfill her WNBA dreams.
If not, the Sparks will still have to address their guard play in the offseason, but no solution will be as good or exciting as Bueckers.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
