Sparks rise in 102-87 victory over the Sky
LA outscored Chicago by 12 in the 4th quarter.
Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper
(Los Angeles, CA) Little by little, the Sparks (10-11) have been gaining momentum. While Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink remain out, LA’s healthy players had to pick up the slack. Their starters answered the call on Friday night, as the Sparks pulled away from the Chicago Sky (7-15) in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 29-17 down the stretch for a 102-87 triumph.
“Good teams are consistent,” Head Coach Lynne Roberts said. “We have to play the right way. The score takes care of itself, and that’s the challenge to play. Empty the tank as hard as you can and play as connected as you can.”
Was the message that Coach Lynne Roberts said before the game tipped off. Her team took the message to heart.
The Sparks had a season-high 32 assists, and all five starters scored in double figures, led by Nneka Ogwumike’s 25-point and 12-rebound game. During the game, Ogwumike moved into the top five in WNBA history for assists. The Sparks shot 51% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Dearica Hamby, Ariel Atkins, and Rae Burrell each had 17 points apiece. Meanwhile, Kamilla Cardoso led the Sky with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Coach Roberts emphasized after the game the importance of playing as a team.
“We need to get the win, not I need to get the bucket. And I think that’s the mentality of great teams, and we’re figuring it out. It’s fun to watch, and I know that’s the style that’s more fun to play, too.”
Defense appeared optional in the first quarter of play as the two teams combined for 57 points in the opening frame. The Sparks relied on their shots from deep as a result of Kamilla Cardoso’s size. By the first timeout, Los Angeles was 3-4 from downtown and 8-10 from the field. Despite the strong offensive start, the Sparks struggled with their transition defense, and Chicago got to the rim throughout the quarter. The Sky’s bench outscored the Sparks’ reserves 24-2 throughout the first half. LA would persist by hitting from deep. By the end of the half, the Sparks led by five, 53-48.
With seven minutes to go in the third, Natasha Cloud subbed out of the game with four fouls, while also leading the team in assists. Soon after, Kamilla Cardoso got her fourth foul as well. Not only was Chicago’s depth tested, but so was Los Angeles’ ability to capitalize with two of the Sky’s starters out of the game. On back-to-back possessions, Rae Burrell made a no-look pass to Ogwumike for an easy layup, and Erica Wheeler made a half-court pass to Dearica Hamby for two in the paint. When the Sparks’ transition defense to offense looked good, the Sparks had great rhythm to their game. Despite those efforts, the Sky’s depth continued to punch back, with Chicago’s bench outscoring the Sparks’ reserves 32-11 throughout the game. They kept the game within one possession going into the fourth quarter.
The Sparks exploded in the final period, and their shots from downtown were the difference, where they hit 80% (4-5 FG). For the entire game, LA outscored Chicago in three-pointers 45% (14-31) to 24% (6-25). Erica Wheeler was a game changer. Wheeler’s penetration for two consecutive threes allowed the Sparks to run away with the lead. With under two minutes remaining, Hamby made a reverse layup and then would go on to block Courtney Vandersloot’s shot at the other end to seal the game and give the Sparks their second win in a row.
“In the fourth quarter coach emphasized on just being able to get stops because we kind of let them get a little run,” Wheeler said. “So just to have that poise, we haven’t shown that in a very long time, so for us to display that tonight, that should be the standard, and it felt good to have that poise.”
The Sparks will head out on a four-game road trip. Next, they take on the Atlanta Dream on Monday, July 13th at 4:00 p.m.
Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography
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