The Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA started a five game road trip last Sunday with a 85-79 loss to the Dallas Wings. On Friday, they take on the best team in the league, the Minnesota Lynx, at 5 o’clock. The Lynx are 28-6, the Sparks 26-8. They are the best two teams in the WNBA.

After Friday, the Sparks travel to New York on Sunday, Washington on Wednesday and Chicago on Friday.  The Sparks return home on Tuesday, Aug. 22 to play San Antonio at the Staples Center at 7:30.

The Sparks have four more regular season games before the playoffs.

Three are at home. If they win most of their remaining games they have a chance to catch Minnesota and claim the best record.

This is really important because that will give the Sparks home court advantage in the playoffs, although they won the championship last season in the final game of the series in Minnesota.

The Sparks need to get consistent play out of their bench if they expect to repeat as champions. Tiffany Jackson-Jones, Jantel Lavender, Odyssey Sims, Sydney Wiese and Riquna Williams are all capable of putting up big numbers off the bench.

Of all of the players coming off the bench, Lavender is key.

At 6-4 and 185 pounds, she can compete inside for rebounds and tip passes but she is also one of the best outside shooting frontcourt players in the WNBA.

Sparks Coach Brian Agler still is trying to figure out the right combinations.

Mr. Finley may be contacted at sfinley50@aol.com