The Los Angeles Sparks are still searching for that elusive first win of the 2026 season after an 0-2 start, but don't count them out just yet. With a grueling 44-game campaign ahead, there's plenty of time to turn things around—and the team is already hitting the reset button.

"Emphasis in practice was just turning the page, coming in open-minded, trusting each other, and trusting our system," said Sparks wing Rae Burrell after Thursday's session. "We wanted to really hone in on defense. Then we did some offensive things too, just to clean up. So, all around, it's about turning the next page and seeing what we can do better from last game."

That clean-up effort starts this weekend with a two-game series against the brand-new expansion team, the Toronto Tempo (1-1), beginning Friday. Both squads are still finding their footing early in the season, but the Tempo have already shown some serious firepower.

"They're in the same boat we are in terms of new and figuring things out," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts noted. "Obviously, they're coached by one of the greats (two-time WNBA champion Sandy Brondello). They've got Julie Allemand, who's one of the best point guards in the world. And Slim (Brittney Sykes) and (Marina) Mabrey are dangerous. They beat Seattle on Wednesday, so yeah, a ton of respect for them. Nothing's easy in this league. They'll get out and run. We've just got to be willful in getting the shots we want."

The Sparks will need to lock in defensively against a Tempo squad that boasts some serious scoring threats. Mabrey is averaging a blistering 26.5 points per game—tied for the league lead with Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell—while Sykes is putting up 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per contest. Toronto also features Nyara Sabally (hero of Game 5 in the 2024 WNBA Finals), UCLA national champion Kiki Rice, Temi Fagbenle, and former Spark Julie Allemand. In short, this isn't your typical expansion team.

"The double points, Marina and Slim... we just have to make sure we're slowing them down," Burrell added. "We know they're going to go on their runs, but we just have to control it."

Part of that control means being more efficient from beyond the arc. The Sparks managed just 2-of-15 shooting from three-point range in their last outing against the Fever—a stat they'll need to improve if they want to keep pace with Toronto's high-octane offense. With a clean slate and a hungry mindset, LA is ready to fight for that first W.