Sparks midseason report: Team must win now, gains nothing from lottery pick

There’s a lot at stake as the Sparks sit three games outside of a playoff spot at the midpoint of the regular season.

If the 8-14 Sparks don’t improve in the second half of the season, they will miss the playoffs for a franchise-record fifth consecutive season.

And if they sit out the postseason again, they will have nothing to show for it next spring.

The team has already traded away its 2026 first-round draft pick to the Seattle Storm, a pick that currently has the second-best odds at becoming the No.