Azurá

Stevens

Stevens made her first eight shots which included four three pointers made. The Chicago Sky defense was slow to contest Stevens who stands tall at 6'6 with a 6'10 wingspan. Stevens was responsible for 54.2% of the Sparks’ total points in the first quarter. But once Steven’s hot shooting streak ended in the fourth quarter, she didn’t hit another three or score another point. The Sparks only scored 17 points to the Sky’s 30 in that final frame.

Having attempted just three shots in Los Angeles’s loss to Minnesota on June 14, Stevens was a more active contributor for the Sparks in Saturday’s rematch. She’s scored in double figures in four of her seven appearances in June, and Stevens finished Saturday’s defeat with her first complete stat line since June 6 against Dallas. And she isn’t a player who needs to score points to have an impact in fantasy basketball. In ESPN leagues, Stevens has recorded at least 30 fantasy points in five of her last six appearances.

On what was a rough night for Stevens and the Sparks, the forward/center recorded her fifth double-double of the season. However, since shooting 47.6 percent from three in her first six games, Stevens has hit a cold spell from deep. Over her last seven, she’s just 7-of-30 from deep, and that includes a 5-of-8 effort against the Wings on June 6. Stevens is a career 34 percent shooter from three, so she was likely due to cool off after a hot start to the season. However, with the Sparks currently without four rotation players, they need her to get back on track. And soon.

The veteran forward had her best game of the season on Saturday, scoring in double figures for the first time all season and finishing as one of Los Angeles’ top scorers. Cannon also topped the 20-minute mark to secure a season-high in minutes, which likely was a reward for her on-court contributions. It’s hard to predict if those minutes will carry over from game to game, considering Azurá Stevens will have more productive outings than she did in 17 minutes vs. Minnesota. Still, Cannon’s performance against the Lynx should only strengthen her spot as a reliable veteran in the nightly rotation.

Stevens got off to a rough start Wednesday night, picking up two fouls in the game’s first 51 seconds. However, the Sparks forward/center was significantly better in the second quarter, scoring 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting as Los Angeles took a nine-point lead into the break. Stevens, who scored six points or less in two of her three prior outings, finished the victory with her fourth double-double of the season. That matches her tally from the entire 2024 campaign. In ESPN fantasy leagues, Stevens is a top 10 frontcourt player in fantasy points per game.

After recording only 25 points over her previous three games, including a five-point showing against the Mercury, Stevens found her rhythm and finished with a team-high in points on Friday. Her output was largely a product of her hot three-point shooting, where her five makes on the night were both a season-high and a career-high. Stevens has now made multiple three-point shots in each of the four games in which she’s accumulated at least 20 points. Given her ability to compile steals and blocks, a hot night from beyond the arc will almost always lead her to big performances in fantasy leagues.

Rickea Jackson is returning to the starting lineup after a two-game absence (personal reasons) kept her sidelined. Her return sends Julie Allemand back to a reserve role, as the Sparks hope the new lineup could help end their three-game losing streak. Jackson has appeared in just three games during her sophomore season and is posting averages of 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Stevens recorded a season-low in points on Sunday in the Sparks’ third straight loss, a stretch in which the veteran is only averaging 8.3 points per game. Shooting was the issue this time around — Stevens shot just 20.0 percent from the field and shot 1-of-7 from beyond the arc vs. Phoenix in 20 minutes of action. She’s now 11-of-35 from the field since recording a season-high 24 points in a win over Chicago. The Sparks need Stevens’ production in a big way, and she’ll have a few days of rest before attempting to get back in rhythm on Friday against the Wings.

Although Hamby’s final line wasn’t as jaw-dropping as the 28/6/8/4 line against Atlanta on Tuesday, she still had the type of well-rounded effort that fantasy managers love to see. In the loss, she led Los Angeles in assists, steals, and tied Azurá Stevens for the most rebounds by a Sparks player. The performance ultimately landed the veteran forward her third double-double of the season and her first since the second game of the season. Hamby continues to deliver in fantasy leagues and produce fantastic games, as she did a season ago.

Stevens didn’t have the same sort of production on Tuesday that she’d generated in her 24-point outing against the Sky over Memorial Day weekend. She shot just 4-of-14 from the field before ultimately fouling out of Tuesday’s contest. Yet, the veteran forward has consistently responded well this season in games immediately following a quiet performance, which is good news for fantasy managers. Stevens notched her second double-double of the season and should continue to perform well going forward in what’s been a really strong start to the season.