The Candace Curse struck early.
With a room filled with media varieties keen to put in writing that uncommon optimistic Sparks story, Parker obtained caught in conference site visitors and was so late that the sport was beginning and she or he took simply 5 minutes’ price of questions.
The Candace Curse struck late.
Within the fourth quarter towards the Chicago Sky at Crypto.com Area, in entrance of a crowd waving yellow Candace Parker T-shirts, the Sparks did one thing they’ve been doing in bunches since Parker skipped city after the 2020 season.
They misplaced.
A dreary Sky crew lacking star Kamilla Cardoso nonetheless managed to beat a Sparks crew stuffed with Parker inspiration, successful 92-85 with a fourth-quarter rally and turning what ought to have been the most effective day of the 12 months into the worst lack of the season.
“It’s tough,” stated the Sparks’ Emma Cannon.
Powerful to play, harder to observe, this being the Sparks’ twelfth loss in 17 video games as they spiral towards their acquainted spot within the backside of the WNBA standings.
This was as soon as a particular franchise, as the fashionable halftime jersey retirement ceremony for Parker reminded everybody, with Lisa Leslie introducing and Parker embracing and the standing crowd somewhat teary.
That is now a blight of a franchise, as the encircling 40 minutes of basketball reminded everybody, the Sparks taking part in onerous however sorely missing in expertise, route and any form of playoff future.
Within the remaining 5 of Parker’s 13 seasons right here, the crew went 108-50 and reached the Finals twice whereas successful their third championship.
Within the 5 years since then, they’re 55-110 and haven’t reached the playoffs.
If that’s not a curse, it’s a mighty highly effective coincidence.
Historical past exhibits that it might have been, and will have been, a lot completely different.
Parker, a two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star, ought to have performed her whole profession right here. She by no means ought to have left as a free agent. Like Leslie, she ought to have been a Spark endlessly.
“No idea how they let her get away,” stated Leslie to The Instances’ Anthony De Leon.
The jersey of former Sparks participant Candace Parker is displayed throughout her jersey retirement ceremony.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
She left due to issues with then-coach Derek Fisher, due to the Penny Toler postgame-tirade controversy, as a result of the group had already begun its downward spiral.
If the Mark Walter-led possession group had been paying consideration, she would have stayed a Spark. If the homeowners put the identical effort they put into working the Dodgers, the problems would have been dealt with and Parker would have been prioritized. She was not, after which she was gone.
“The culture was toxic…I was part of that culture and had been absorbed in that toxicity,” Parker wrote in her e book, “The Can-do Mindset.”
She additionally left as a result of she needed to play close to her Chicago-area hometown, and she or he later bolted there for Las Vegas, and gained titles in each locations when she ought to have been successful them right here. Right here’s guessing she would have fairly gained them right here, as Sunday she acknowledged Los Angeles had grow to be her residence.
“L.A. isn’t just about ball,” she informed the group through the halftime ceremony. “For me anymore, it’s now where we call home and we will forever call home. So thank you so much, I love you all, I’m so appreciative, and I can’t believe it. Thank you all. Thank you.”
One can’t blame her if she not acknowledges her former crew. The Sparks not have a famous person, a deep bench, a championship hope in hell.
Full disclosure: I’m a Sparks honk. I’m such a fan that my daughter MC and I’ve partial season tickets.
Additionally full disclosure: When selecting our seats for this season, we had a selection to sit down behind both bench, so we took those behind the visiting bench. The guests all the time have extra stars, the guests are all the time extra enjoyable.
Definitely, these Sparks have some shining moments. Kelsey Plum works as onerous as any star in any native sport, Azurá Stevens is without doubt one of the league’s underrated forces and Dearica Hamby is strong.
However a collection of awful draft picks and an absence of a pretty infrastructure — that imaginary everlasting apply facility is being constructed any day now! — have stored them from buying the form of superstars that carry groups in crunch time, the form of difference-makers this city deserves.
“I feel like we’re right there,” Plum informed me earlier than Sunday’s sport. “We’re young, we lack depth and cohesion, those things take time, I have faith that throughout the season we’ll continue to build.”
Plum has been an excellent addition since coming right here final winter in a commerce, she works tougher in pregame warmups than some gamers throughout the complete sport, however what she’s saying, we’ve heard earlier than.
Candace Parker was a two-time MVP, rookie of the 12 months and led the Sparks to the 2016 title in her 13 seasons with the crew.
(Related Press)
The newest spin is that the Sparks’ No. 2 total draft choose Cameron Brink will make an enormous distinction when she returns from knee surgical procedure later this summer time. However she didn’t make an enormous distinction early final season when she performed. Their different prime draft choose from final season, Rickea Jackson, scored six factors Sunday and has mainly been a bust.
Barring the signing of a significant free agent — who desires to play on a crew with no everlasting residence? — there’s not a lot assist coming subsequent 12 months as a result of they’ve traded their first-round choose.
So their motto ought to be…Ready for JuJu?
It’s all so miserable, particularly on a day that ought to have been so uplifting.
Earlier than the sport, new coach Lynne Roberts — her honeymoon is already over — known as this a “must-win.”
For the reason that Candace Curse, that has meant, “About to lose.”
