Sparks: 

The Sparks visit the Dream for two games in three days with playoff implications for each. Through Sept. 2, the Sparks stand one game behind Indiana for eighth, one and a half games back of Seattle for seventh, and trail Golden State by two contests, holding the tiebreaker over both the Fever and Storm. 

The Sparks shook up the playoff picture Monday after rallying from 17 points down to defeat the Storm 91-85 in Seattle. Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson combined for 50 points to lead the Sparks to victory, with Los Angeles dominating 60-30 in the paint.

The three-time WNBA champions rank second in the league in points per game and field-goal percentage, trailing only top-seeded Minnesota in each. Additionally, Los Angeles ranks third in three-point percentage.

Dream:

Atlanta entered Wednesday in a three-way tie for second place in the WNBA standings. The Dream are 7-3 in their last 10 outings, most recently securing a 17-point victory Monday in Connecticut. Rhyne Howard scored 23 points, while Brionna Jones recorded a double-double. 

Led by Jones on the boards, the hosts lead the league in rebounds per game (36.3).

The History: Sparks vs. Dream

The Sparks visit College Park Arena for their 45th meeting with the Dream, marginally trailing the all-time series 24-20. Atlanta has won the last four matchups dating back to May 5, 2024.

The squads last met May 27 in a close matchup at Crypto.comArena, where the Dream pulled out an 88-82 win. Los Angeles was without Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell, while Jackson played limited minutes off the bench. The Sparks shot 44.8% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range in the contest and collected 12 steals, tied for their second-most in a game this season.

Players to Watch:

Sparks:

Dearica Hamby recorded a season-high 28 points (10-for-15 FG, 8-for-9 FT) along with eight assists and four steals her last time out against Atlanta. The 11th-year veteran is putting together an All-WNBA campaign, averaging 18.2 PPG and 7.2 RPG. 

Kelsey Plum contributed 27 points on 50% shooting, five assists and four steals. The three-time All-Star has already set the Sparks single-season records for points scored, three-pointers made, free throws made and 20+ point performances. The Washington alumna is seven assists from breaking the franchise single-season assists record and is averaging 19.9 points, narrowly trailing Lisa Leslie's record 20.0 in a Sparks season. 

Dream:

Allisha Gray notched a team-high 25 points (7-for–8 FG, 2-for-2 3PT, 9-for-9 FT) against Los Angeles in May. The ninth-year guard has also made 93 three-pointers this season, ranking third in the league.

Rhyne Howard has been a reliable complement to Gray, averaging 16.8 PPG to her teammate's 18.6. Coming off a strong performance against the Sun, the former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star continues to showcase her talent.