TORRANCE – If the Sparks want to secure a spot in the WNBA playoffs, a win against the New York Liberty, the league’s best team, would be the perfect start to the second half of the season.

That won’t be easy, as 13 of the Sparks’ final 16 regular-season games are against teams currently in the eight playoff spots in the 12-team league.

In their first game in nearly a month due to the league’s Olympic break, the Sparks host the Liberty (21-4). The game will be televised nationally on ESPN at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“I think (the Olympic break) was good for us to take a little break and things like that and then come back and regroup knowing that our season starts now,” Sparks freshman Rickea Jackson said. “And if we want it to last longer, we’re going to have to make big moves.”

Rickea Jackson on the LA Sparks’ playoff attack after the WNBA’s Olympic break, which begins Thursday night at home against the New York Liberty. pic.twitter.com/HPGjJpt27R

– John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) 14 August 2024

The Sparks (6-18) have a 0-2 record against the Liberty (21-4) this season. They lost two straight road games, 93-80 on June 20 and 98-88 on June 22. Sparks All-Star and Olympic bronze medalist Dearica Hamby scored 20 points in the second game (the most points on the team), but Liberty All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart led her team with 33 points (the most points of the game).

“I think we come back with a clearer idea of ​​how to play successfully with our group,” said Sparks coach Curt Miller.

The Sparks will have only nine active players available against the Liberty, as Cameron Brink (left knee), Lexie Brown (Crohn’s disease), Aari McDonald (right foot) and Stephanie Talbot (right foot) are unavailable, according to the team’s game status report.

For the remainder of the season, Miller will focus on offensive efficiency and limiting turnovers through better defensive play and improved physicality.

Hamby, a three-time All-Star, leads the team with 19.2 points and 10 rebounds per game. Sparks forward Azurá Stevens averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in her first four games back from an arm injury. Jackson averaged 11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The Sparks, who are in 10th place, are four games back of the Chicago Sky, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot. This final six-week stretch comes as the Sparks consider the possibility of extending their already record-breaking postseason drought to four seasons.

“A big focus,” Jackson said when asked about making the playoffs. “I don’t want to be out of the playoffs. It’s my first year here and I want to get us back to where we were. So I definitely feel like it’s a big focus and even at practice (Wednesday), I felt like we came back from the break with great focus, the Olympians came back with great focus. It’s like we didn’t even miss a beat.”

The Sparks, who practiced during the break, have not played since an 89-83 loss to the Seattle Storm on July 16. The team has won just two of its last 10 games.