The Tulsa Shock might have their best chance to stop their ongoing collapse their next time out.
That's because they'll host the Atlanta Dream in a matchup of the coldest teams in the WNBA on Sunday.
Tulsa (10-12) has lost eight straight, making its 8-1 start a distant memory. The Shock have dropped nine of 11 since star guard Skylar Diggins was lost for the season with a torn ACL on June 28.
Tulsa last lost nine in a row in a skid of that length to close the 2012 season.
The first seven defeats in the Shock's slide came by an average of 6.4 points, but they were pounded 84-57 by Los Angeles on Thursday. The loss was the team's second-worst of the season.
Tulsa is still in good position, sitting third in the Eastern Conference, but the Sparks have pulled within 2 1/2 games thanks to a four-game winning streak.
The Dream (7-14) appear to provide an excellent opportunity for the Shock to earn their first victory since July 11. Atlanta has lost six straight and eight of 10 and is coming off its most lopsided loss of the season, 106-77 at Indiana on Friday.
The Dream have also dropped their last five on the road by an average of 16 points, though the Shock have lost four straight at home.
Atlanta allowed the Fever to score a team-record 59 points in the second half, and the Dream committed 26 turnovers. Angel McCoughtry scored 23 points but the club shot 39.3 percent.
Plenette Pierson scored 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Riquna Williams added 23 to help the Shock win 85-75 at Atlanta on July 7. McCoughtry scored 25 but went 8-of-28 from the field.
Atlanta rookie forward Cierra Burdick underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a stress fracture in her left foot. Burdick averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 11 games - four starts.
