The WNBA resumes its regular season schedule after an extended break for the Olympics and all 12 teams will be in action today. We’ll take a look at the last game on the schedule today, as the Indiana Fever (4-16) visit the Los Angeles Sparks (6-13).
Indiana at Los Angeles Betting Odds
The Sparks are favored by 4 and the total on the game is 155.5 Los Angeles is -180 on the moneyline.
Indiana Fever
The Fever may have won just four games in the first half of the season, but they did manage to win three straight before the break. The last two wins did come against New York and Atlanta, which isn’t saying a whole lot, but the Fever did manage to knock off Connecticut in the other game.
Indiana has managed to stay healthy for the most part, which isn’t necessarily a good thing considering their record. Kelsey Mitchell and Tiffany Mitchell are the teams leading scorers, with Teaira McCowan the only other player to average double in double figures for Indiana. The Fever are shooting just 41.5% from the field for the season, while allowing 45%. It’s even worse from 3-point range, where the Fever are hitting just 26.4% and allowing 37.2%.
Los Angeles Sparks
The Sparks aren’t much better than the Fever, at least in the record department, as Los Angeles went into the break on a six-game losing streak to wind-up a disappointing 6-13. Los Angeles did at least have an excuse, as the team was hit hard by injuries, with leading scorer Nneka Ogwumike playing just the first five games of the season and Kristi Tolliver missing those six games at the end of the first half. Both are expected to be back today, with Chiney Ogwumike expected back sometime soon.
The Sparks have some ugly numbers, which is going to happen when you’re without your best player for an extended period of time. Los Angeles is shooting just 39.5% from the field, although Ogwumike shoots 58.3% from the field and also helps open things up for the rest of the team.
Indiana at Los Angeles Pick
The first half of the WNBA season was pretty good to us, where we finished 27-16-1, but the first games back after an extended break can be a little tricky, as it may take players a game or two to get back into the rhythm of things. I have Los Angeles winning this one 86-73, so will go ahead and take the Sparks -4, as Los Angeles begins its second-half push to get back into playoff contention.