As the Los Angeles Sparks (5-15) continue to slide further out of the playoff race, and they’ve made several adjustments to their rotation as of late, though most have been out of necessity. Rookie forward Cameron Brink has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, while guard Lexie Brown is out indefinitely as she battles Crohn’s disease.
While veterans like Stephanie Talbot and Kia Nurse have seen increased workloads for the Sparks in the wake of these injuries, it’s been point guard Aari McDonald who has stepped up the most. McDonald, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Atlanta Dream, got off to a modest start in her first month in Los Angeles, but has quietly been one of the WNBA’s more productive guards since then. In her last nine games, McDonald has posted averages of 13.2 points, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and save for one dud against the New York Liberty on June 22, has shot the ball well, connecting on 47.1 percent of her field goal attempts and 39.5 percent of her 3-pointers during that span.
That’s good for 25.6 fantasy points per game, and McDonald doesn’t seem to be in danger of losing her spot in the starting lineup, either. Layshia Clarendon is still in the picture, but their playing time (11.1…
