Rickea

Jackson

With Rickea Jackson (leg) and Julie Allemand (ankle) out on Thursday, Burrell and Barker will start in their place for the Sparks in their season finale. The Sparks were eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday, so Jackson’s and Allemand’s inactive statuses shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise as they battle injuries. With one game left in the season, the Sparks will have a chance to finish with a .500 record if they can defeat the Aces on Thursday.

Jackson and Allemand are the only two players on the Sparks’ injury report ahead of their season finale on Thursday. Both players participated in the Sparks’ most recent game against the Mercury on Tuesday. Yet, with Los Angeles now officially eliminated from playoff contention, the statuses of the two players ahead of their matchup with the Aces will be worth monitoring. Should either player miss Thursday’s game, Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo and Sarah Ashlee Barker would all be candidates to fill in as starters.

Jackson was super efficient scoring the basketball on Friday night, shooting 66.7% from the field. It was her highest field goal percentage of the season and she hadn’t reached over 60% shooting since August 26 against the Mercury. Most of Jackson’s scoring came in the first half where she made four shots and accounted for 9 of the Sparks’ total 24 first quarter points. The Dream did an admirable job of running Jackson off the three-point line, but the sophomore wing still scored her points. Jackson made some baskets on the drive, along with some step back and turnaround jumpers.

Hamby was super efficient on Friday night, shooting over 73% from the field against the Dream. Her performance marked the fourth time in a row where she shot over 50% from the field and it was her fourth consecutive game with 20 or more points. Hamby did an excellent job of taking advantage of the mismatch she posed at the center position. She blew past both Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner multiple times on drives and took advantage of her size advantage when the Dream were switching, and as a result there was a smaller defender on her. Hamby was on triple-double watch also finishing the game with seven rebounds and five assists to three different teammates including Rickea Jackson, Julie Allemand and Kelsey Plum.

Jackson fought through a bothersome leg to log 36 minutes of game action on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the Sparks, the sophomore forward shot inefficiently and failed to make an impact as a passer, although she did finish as one of the team’s top three scorers. Jackson has shot poorly in both games against the Dream this season, and if the Sparks hope to bounce back in Friday’s rematch, they’ll likely need even more production from her on the offensive end.

Jackson started September where she left things in August, with another double-digit scoring outing. The sophomore forward was most accurate inside the arc, with solid production from the free-throw line leading her to finish as one of four Sparks players to score in double figures. Jackson’s most significant contributions came in a big nine-point third quarter that helped Los Angeles cut its 14-point halftime deficit to four points. She landed five more points and big plays on both ends of the floor in the final frame to help the Sparks to a crucial win. As they continue to battle for a playoff spot, fantasy managers could be optimistic about Jackson’s production the rest of the way.

Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts admitted pregame that Jackson is playing through a left leg injury that she sustained earlier in the week. But somehow Jackson has played through it well. She recorded her 11th consecutive game with multiple threes made, which is the longest streak in Sparks franchise history. Jackson has hit at least three three-pointers in five of her last seven games played. Three of her four three-pointers were assisted via Kelsey Plum, Julie Allemand and Rae Burrell. Jackson created her own trey hitting a pull-up with 8:25 left in the first quarter. She scored half of her total 16 points in the first quarter and scored the rest of her points in the second and third quarters.

With Rickea Jackson still clearly in some pain and not moving particularly well from her left leg injury that she sustained on Tuesday night, it was up to Burrell to step up coming off the bench. She hit a three-pointer and slashed to the basket well, putting a lot of pressure on the rim. While the Fever defense was so keyed into Kelsey Plum throughout the game, Burrell had some more space to attack the basket and speed past the Fever’s line of defense. The Sparks wing did her most damage in the third quarter, scoring five of the Fever’s total 11 third quarter points at a moment in the game where both team’s were struggling to score.

Jackson will start for the Sparks after previously being ruled questionable. The second year wing tweaked her left leg on Tuesday night against the Mercury at the end of the third quarter. She returned mid-way through the fourth. While Sparks head coach Roberts alluded to Rae Burrell starting if Jackson wasn’t available to play, Burrell now will come off the bench on Friday night.

Jackson left the Sparks’ Tuesday night game against the Mercury at the end of the third quarter with an apparent left ankle injury. While she returned to the game in the middle of the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Jackson remains questionable on Friday night. Head coach Lynne Roberts told reporters pregame that if Jackson can’t play that Rae Burrell will take her spot in the starting lineup. Expect guard Julie Vanloo and wing Sarah Ashlee Barker to get some more minutes on the floor if Jackson if unavailable.