Turnovers Sink Sparks in 86-82 Loss to Mercury
Phoenix forced Los Angeles into 18 turnovers as LA drops 5th straight.
Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper
(Los Angeles, CA) After a four-game road trip, the Los Angeles Sparks (10-16) came back home to take on the Phoenix Mercury (10-18) in one last battle before the All-Star break. Despite a close game with eight lead changes and ten ties, the game got away from the Sparks in the fourth quarter as they struggled to keep up with the Mercury’s pace defensively, and once again, 18 turnovers plagued their 86-82 loss.
Rae Burrell led the way for the Sparks with 20 points (7-16 FG), as she made multiple clutch shots down the stretch that kept the momentum going for her team. Dearica Hamby added 18 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, having multiple offensive spurts, including her 7-0 run to open the game. Nneka Ogwumike had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
For the Mercury, Kahleah Copper scored a game-high 21 points. Alyssa Thomas had her first triple-double this year and 20th of her career in the regular season, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists. She also made all nine of the Mercury’s free throws.
Coach Lynne Roberts talked about defending Kahleah Copper:
“I mean, it’s Kahleah Copper. That’s who she is. She had 41 on us the last time. She’s an All-Star. She’s an Olympian. That’s who she is.”
Through the first quarter, Dearica Hamby scored the first seven points for the Sparks. Nonetheless, LA struggled finishing at the rim, shooting 26% from the field (6-23) and 27% from downtown (3-11). Both Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler had zero points through the first. As the offense struggled, the home team could not keep up with Phoenix’s fast pace in transition, and their defense felt invisible. Despite the struggles, the Sparks were able to keep the game within one point thanks to the Mercury’s six turnovers, as LA was able to intercept multiple cross-court passes.
The problems remained the same for the Sparks through the second as their defense struggled to defend guard Kahleah Copper, who led her team with 12 to end the half. Alyssa Thomas was also able to get to the free-throw line almost every time she made her way to the rim. With two minutes remaining, Erica Wheeler and Nneka Ogwumike both had three fouls, forcing Coach Lynne Roberts to go to her bench. Cameron Brink, Jihyun Park, and Emma Cannon combined for seven points. However, every time the Sparks made a shot, the Mercury had a response. Los Angeles had five turnovers in the second while Phoenix only added one. Further, the Mercury had 14 points in fast-break points to the Sparks’ 0. Regardless, LA matched the Mercury’s pace with a drive down the court and a floating jumper by Rae Burrell, only putting the Sparks down by two to end the half, 43-41.
After back-to-back layups by Hamby, the Sparks were able to take the lead. The bench continued to play deep into the third quarter. Despite seven more turnovers, the bench kept the game within two possessions. Back-to-back threes from Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell tied the game to end the third. By giving the starters a longer rest on the bench, it set up hope for a strong fourth-quarter finish.
However, the Sparks could not defend the Mercury down the stretch nor make up for it on the offensive side. A missed layup by Dearica Hamby to tie the game with less than a minute to go turned into an easy breakaway score for the Mercury, ending the game 86-82.
After, Coach Lynne Roberts spoke about closing out games:
“Our execution needs to be better. Attention to detail. Our communication defensively. I felt like we were a little bit reactive defensively down the stretch rather than proactive.”
After the All-Star break, the Sparks will stay at home to take on the New York Liberty on July 28th at 7 p.m.
Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography
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