In a battle of two WNBA teams trying to turn around their seasons in the second half, the Los Angeles Sparks will begin a three-game road trip Sunday afternoon against the Portland Fire at the Moda Center on NBC and Peacock.

The Sparks (10-17) have struggled in the absence of All-Star guard Kelsey Plum (who has missed 17 games with multiple injuries). With Plum out for the past 11 games, Los Angeles has gone 2-9 and fallen five and a half games behind the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty for the eighth and final playoff spot.

The expansion Fire (11-17) are ninth in the standings and have shown flashes of promise during their inaugural season with second-year guard Carla Leite leading the way. Portland has lost three consecutive games.

This will mark the second of three meetings between the teams. The Sparks prevailed 89-72 in the fisrt matchup on July 12.

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See below for how to watch the Sparks-Fire game and how to watch the WNBA on Peacock.

Los Angeles Sparks vs. Portland Fire preview:

Out since June 21, Plum said she intends to play on a minutes restrction off the bench against the Fire. The Sparks are coming off a 113-109 loss to the New York Liberty with a season-high 24 points by
Rae Burrell and a game-high nine assists by Nneka Ogwumike.

Ogwumike, the 2016 WNBA MVP in her 15th WNBA season, ranks seventh in rebounding (8.9 rebounds per game). After playing only 34 games in her first two seasons because of knee injuries, Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2024 draft, is on pace for career highs in scoring (9.2 points per game) and field-goal percentage (49.2%).

The Sparks have been relying on the veteran backcourt of Erica Wheeler and Ariel Atkins, two former All-Stars who have averaged in double figures in Plum’s absence.

Portland is seeking to become just the second expansion team to make the WNBA playoffs (joining the Golden State Valkyries last season).

Leite, a 2024 first-round pick by Dallas from France, ranks eighth in the WNBA in assists (5.9 per game) and leads the team in scoring (15.2 points per game), reaching double figures in 24 of 26 games. Emily Engstler (the No. 4 overall pick by Indiana in 2022) ranks fourth in the league in blocks (1.6 per game).

The Fire are trying to navigate the loss of guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury July 22 during a breakout second season. Bridget Carleton (13.7 ppg) and Megan DiLeo (12.8 ppg) have provided offense.

How to watch Los Angeles Sparks vs. Portland FireWhen: Today, Sunday, Aug. 2Where: Moda Center in Portland, OregonTime: 3:30 p.m. ETAnnouncers: Michael Grady will handle play by play with analyst LaChina Robinson (analyst). The sideline reporter is Jordan Cornette. Coverage begins with WNBA Showtime, featuring Hall of Famers and analysts Sue Bird and Cheryl Miller and host Maria Taylor.TV: NBCLive Stream: PeacockHow to watch the WNBA on Peacock

Peacock will stream nationally televised WNBA regular‑season games that air across NBC, as well as Peacock exclusives. These include 22 national WNBA games per season shared across Peacock and NBC. Peacock will also stream select WNBA Playoff games.

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Who are the on-air talent for WNBA coverage?

Sue Bird and Cheryl Miller will serve as studio analysts; Maria Taylor and LaChina Robinson as studio hosts; LaChina Robinson and Sarah Kustok as game analysts; and Zora Stephenson, Noah Eagle, and Michael Grady as play-by-play voices. Ashley ShahAhmadi, Jordan Cornette, and Caroline Pineda as courtside reporters.

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