The Los Angeles Sparks are bringing their track-meet style to Climate Pledge Arena for a Sunday afternoon tilt that promises plenty of empty possessions and high-possession runs. At 14-25, Los Angeles has spent the regular season pairing a highly watchable 87.3 points per game with a defense that essentially operates on an honor system, giving up a massive 92.3 points nightly. Seattle (8-31) has the opposite problem, keeping things relatively respectable on defense by yielding 88.2 points per game, but lacking the halfcourt engine to consistently crack 80. When you play fast but cannot stop a nosebleed, even a 7-12 road record feels like a minor miracle.
If the Storm want to defend their home floor and improve on a dismal 6-13 home split, they must drag this game into the mud. Seattle scores just 83.1 points per game on a frosty 43 percent shooting, and losing center Awa Fam to the injury list does not help their interior depth. Meanwhile, the Sparks will be without forward Alissa Pili, putting even more pressure on their transition game to carry the load. This matchup is a pure tug-of-war between LA's desire to run and Seattle's desperate need to slow the tempo down. Lock in your predictions on StreakChat and tell us if you are riding with the Sparks' pace or the Storm's grit.