The WNBA's All-Star break starts after Wednesday's six-game slate, and to that end the league scheduled a couple of matinees â always a nice surprise in any big-league sport on a weekday. I'm here to look at Mercury-Sparks with a 3 p.m. ET tip time from Los Angeles. It appears to be the only relatively evenly matched game on the schedule, as every other favorite is at least -5.5.
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Mercury vs. Sparks WNBA single-game parlay
- Los Angeles money line
- Nneka Ogwumike 15+ points
FanDuel SGP price: +124
Neither Phoenix nor Los Angeles would be a playoff team as things stand. The Mercury (9-18) sit 13th in the WNBA and are priced +1000 for extra basketball via FanDuel. They had lost five in a row before a 72-63 home win Sunday over Connecticut, arguably the worst team in the league. The 63 points allowed were the fewest by the Mercury since August 2025, and they forced 21 turnovers. Phoenix scored 22 points off those turnovers, the sixth time this season the club has scored at least 20 points off opponent miscues.
That said, the Mercury offense wasn't exactly humming, as they shot just 41% from the field overall and 2-for-25 from deep. It was only the second time since the 2016 season that the franchise won a game in which it made two or fewer 3-pointers (had been 1-5).
Veteran DeWanna Bonner led Phoenix with a season-high 21 points while adding six rebounds against one of her former teams. She became the franchise's all-time leading rebounder, surpassing Brittney Griner with 2,323 total boards in a Mercury uniform.
Bonner is now four rebounds shy of passing Rebekkah Brunson for fifth in WNBA history. Forward Natasha Mack returned from nearly a month injury absence Sunday and had four points and five boards in 20 minutes off the bench. She had a minutes restriction and surely will tonight. Tonight is one those one-game trips players hate, especially coming before some time off due to the All-Star break.
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Los Angeles (10-15) is 10th in the WNBA and +310 for a playoff spot. The Sparks have lost a season-high four in a row but those were all away. The team has averaged 16 turnovers per during the skid. "I don't know what the biggest denominator is on it, but that is what's happening is the lack of execution," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said. "I think it's discipline. It's focus."
The team got good news last week with the return of Cameron Brink from a month-long injury absence, and she totaled 29 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks over the three games she played â her minutes climbed in each game.
Fellow forward Nneka Ogwumike enters today with season-high-tying three straight double-doubles, averaging 19.3 points and 11.3 boards in that span. Her 11 double-doubles are tied for fourth in the league. Last week, she became the all-time top scorer in Sparks history, passing Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, and moved into third place in league history in total rebounds in passing Candace Parker.
Los Angeles, which remains without injured guard and leading scorer Kelsey Plum (23.9 PPG), has won its past two games at home and reached triple-digit points in both. The Sparks are 2-0 vs. the Mercury, winning both in Phoenix and averaging 104.0 points in the two â one went to OT. Plum was around for those.
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L.A. is 4-2 ATS in the past six meetings overall, while the Mercury enter on a 2-5 SU road run. I always like to fade teams that play on the road in their final game before the All-Star break. For the Sparks, it will be a sellout crowd and a loud one as it's the annual Kids' Day game. Ogwumike, meanwhile, has scored at least 15 points in six straight games with a low of 17. With Plum out, she is option No. 1. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
