As the season barrels toward its business end and the fight for playoff spots heats up, one team has quietly turned the dial up. The Los Angeles Sparks. In their last 15 games, they’ve dropped just five. The fifteen games before that? Well, things were a bit more dull with 10 losses. But thanks to that dramatic turnaround, Lynne Roberts’ crew is now lounging just one rung shy of the playoff ladder. And there might be some more good news on the horizon. As they prepare to host the Phoenix Mercury, the coach shared an encouraging update regarding Cameron Brink.

After missing 13 months with an ACL injury, Brink returned at the end of last month and has already made her presence felt in the paint. The Sparks still hold the league’s second-worst defensive rating, and that hasn’t changed much, even during their recent hot streak. But Brink’s impact is undeniable. In just 13.3 minutes per game, she’s averaging 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and an impressive 1.7 blocks, giving Los Angeles a much-needed defensive boost.

Of course, playing just 13 minutes a night isn’t really solving the Sparks’ problems, especially as they continue to allow second-chance points at the league’s second-highest rate. But that could change as they prepare to host the Mercury for the third time this season. According to head coach Lynne Roberts via Underdog WNBA, Brink, who has yet to play 20 minutes in any game (the most she has played is 19) this season, will see her time increase to 25 minutes in the upcoming game against the Mercury. Before this game, Roberts had reportedly said, “To be honest with you, I’m not exactly sure what it will be for the season moving forward,” about Brink’s minutes restriction.

And well, they do need her larger presence on the court. In just her 23rd game of her WNBA career, Brink tied for the fifth-fastest player in WNBA history to reach 50 blocks – joining Sparks legend Lisa Leslie, New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, and Las Vegas Aces center Kiah Stokes. And get this, Saniya Rivers (who’s played 35 WNBA games with a 25-minute average) is leading rookies at 0.9 blocks per game. And Cameron Brink (who’s played 25 total WNBA games with an 18.5-minute average) is averaging 2.1 blocks per game for her career.

Phoenix and L.A. have faced off twice this season. The Mercury won both matchups, but they were close (89-86 and 85-80), and honestly, both teams look very different now compared to when they last met on June 1. For starters, Kahleah Copper didn’t play in either game, and Alyssa Thomas missed the second one. On the other side, the Sparks were without Cameron Brink and third-leading scorer Rickea Jackson in both contests. Since then, we’ve seen a resurgence like no other. They flipped a rough 5-14 start into an 11-4 run and are now in a strong position to fight for a playoff spot, sitting just one place out with nine games left.

But heading into their third match of the season against the Mercury, coach Roberts made her expectations crystal clear to her team.

Lynne Roberts wants more from the defensive unit led by Cameron Brink

The Sparks have one of the best offenses in the league, sitting third in offensive rating. With players like Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, and Rickea Jackson leading the way, they know how to score. They are also second in the league in three-point percentage, which means if a defense is late on rotations, the Sparks will make them pay. But when it comes to defending the three, they struggle heavily. They allow more made threes than any other team, and that could be exactly what the Mercury need to get going. If the Sparks can’t close out fast enough, Phoenix’s shooters might just have a field day, and that is exactly what coach Roberts wants to avoid.

“You have to compete,” the first-year Sparks coach said. “It comes down to who wants to win more at this point in the season. It’s execution but it’s also a toughness of we’re not going to quit, we’re not going to go away, and I think that’s what it takes to win when you’re in a (playoff) hunt.”

“I think at this point teams are who they are,” Roberts continued. “As you enter down the stretch of the season, you have to focus on what you’re good at and make sure you’re confident in what you can do and then just continue to look at the little things to improve along the way, so that’s what we’re doing.”

With Roberts laying out her expectations, the pressure is on Brink to deliver now that she’s finally going to see extended minutes for the first time since her return. She’ll be focused on tightening things up inside, as LA allows the second-highest field goal percentage at the rim. So, who do you think takes this one? Drop your predictions in the comments!