With a 10-10 record, the Phoenix Mercury have had an average season so far. But they have a chance to build some momentum ahead of the Olympics break. Out of the 5 games before the All-Star game, they face 4 teams with a worse record than them. The first opponent in this run is the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks will feel confident about this matchup after defeating the 2x defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces. Adding to their chances is the fact that Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner won’t suit up for the game.

So, will the already-depleted Mercury be able to beat the 5-15 Sparks? Here are all the updates for tomorrow’s game.

Injury update and starting five for the Mercury and Sparks

Unfortunately, the Sparks lost their rookie Cameron Brink for the season due to an ACL injury last month. Additionally, guard Lexie Brown has been out indefinitely as she is dealing with the effects of Crohn’s Disease.

As for the Mercury, they have declared veterans and starters Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Rebecca Allen, and Charisma Osborne (off the bench) will not be playing Sunday night’s game. Griner (personal) and Allen (lower back) have been labeled questionable.

Taurasi and Osborne have sustained similar injuries on their lower leg and hence have been ruled out for this one. Recently, Allen and Taurasi have been facing back stress and lower back issues, making them sit out of at least one game after their 88-82 loss to Indiana last week.

Obviously, this will lead to some changes in the starting 5 for tomorrow. The potential starting 5 include Kahleah Copper, Sug Sutton, Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen (GTD), and Brittney Griner (GTD). For the Sparks, the potential starting 5 will include rookie Rickea Jackson, Stephanie Talbot, Dearica Hamby, Aari McDonald, and Kia Nurse.

Will Mercury be able to fight this one with 3 staters short?

These injuries have majorly left the burden on Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud’s shoulders. The Mercury amassed 104 points in their last game against Dallas, where Copper led the way with a 34-point game.

Brittney Griner was at her best with 24 points and 8 rebounds, and Natasha Cloud had 11 points and 10 assists. Diana Taurasi and Rebecca Allen added 16 and 14 points to the mix, respectively, with Sophie Cunnigham making some noise off the bench. This season, the Mercury’s offense ranks #4 while it is reigning at #9 on the defense.

On the other hand, the Sparks ended up taking a 98-93 overtime win over the Aces where Dearica Hamby dominated with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Aari McDonald followed the trend and added another 23 points. Stephanie Talbot and Rickea Jackson had 13 and 14 points, respectively.

The Sparks’ offense is ranked #11, while they rank #10 on the other end. However, these ranks are likely to go up if they meet the Mercury with the same energy with which they did the Aces because they can’t get a better chance at them with their three key players down.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video: