Six games into the regular season, the Sparks were trading wins and losses at a record of 3-3. In hopes of winning consecutive games, head coach Derek Fisher changed the starting lineup, inserting Sydney Wiese into the starting group, and reserving Riquna Williams for bench scoring. The Sparks haven’t lost a game since.

The 2020 Los Angeles Sparks currently have the third best record in the WNBA, and are rolling with an eight-game winning streak. It feels as though everyone has found their role, from the starting unit to the bench.

Spearheaded by Sixth Woman of the Year candidate Riquna Williams, the 2020 Los Angeles bench is the second-highest scoring unit in the league. Williams is thriving in her bench role, making the sixth most threes of anyone this season, at an astounding 46.2%.

“Everybody that knows me knows I enjoy coming off the bench,” Williams stated. “It’s always been one of my favorites, but I’m also a team player. I’m going to do whatever the Sparks need me to do to get the job done.”

Playing in her 15th season, Seimone Augustus has been incredibly efficient off the Sparks bench. Not only is she shooting 52.2% from the field and 56.3% from beyond the arc, but she also has the sixth lowest turnover percentage of anyone in the league.

The Sparks’ bench is a huge reason why Los Angeles is second in the league in defensive rating. From Reshanda Gray’s league-high rebounding rate to Te’a Cooper’s transition play, everyone on the second unit has proven themselves as reliable players.

Coach Fisher understands the importance of this production. “That’s the difference for all great teams, is being able to have players on your bench that teammates can trust and coaches can trust.”

The Sparks are undefeated when Brittney Sykes starts, and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt’s defensive effort has been incredible off the bench. Los Angeles will look to build on this winning recipe for the rest of the season.