Up next for Sparks: Friday vs. Sacramento

VS. SACRAMENTO

When: 7:30.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: Webcast, WNBA.com.

Records: Sparks 8-12, Monarchs 6-17.

Record vs. Monarchs: 2-0.

Update: This is the second time in a week the Sparks play in back-to-back games, hosting Sacramento tonight before visiting the Monarchs on Saturday. The Sparks split their back-to-back games earlier in the week, defeating the league’s top team (the Indiana Fever) on Monday and then losing to the Eastern Conference’s worst team (the New York Liberty). The Sparks have the league’s worst offense (70.7 points per game), but have the league’s top defense (72.25 points per game).

-- Mark Medina