LOS ANGELES — The Sparks know when they play hard and together, good things can happen. Twenty games into the 44-game regular season, they believe that’s the recipe for consistently winning games, regardless of who is in or out of the lineup.
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Their next opportunity to prove that concept will be against the Chicago Sky at Crypto.com Arena Friday night, which will conclude a three-game homestand.
The Sparks (9-11) are coming off a 106-92 victory against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night. All-Star reserve forward Nneka Ogwumike, Rae Burrell, and Dearica Hamby led the way by combining for 67 points and anchored an extended surge through the final 30 minutes of play.
Ogwumike finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Burrell had 22 points and four assists. Hamby added 21 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
“I think my aggressiveness and my physicality change the tempo of the game,” Hamby said.
The Sky (7-14) are coming off a 77-66 win at Phoenix on Tuesday. Rookie guard Sydney Taylor scored a team-high 16 points. Guard Natasha Cloud added 11 points. Chicago has won three of its last five games, with the two losses coming to the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces.
“They’re definitely hungry,” Hamby explained. “They still have a talented team. They have Kamilla (Cardoso) in the post. They have good guards. I don’t know if Skylar (Diggins) will be back, but they’re definitely chippy and they’re fighting for respect and wins also like we are, so it should be a good game.”
LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby on being energized by physicality, Kelsey Plum’s words of affirmation, hosting a chippy Chicago Sky team on Friday and being proud of Rae Burrell after helping keep her head up after tough losses. pic.twitter.com/HrvMg46i5j
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 9, 2026
The Sparks trailed by 10 points in the first half against Indiana but found sustained success, particularly by scoring 60 points in the paint, with Burrell, Ogwumike and Hamby going to work against the Fever, who were without All-Star starter center Aliyah Boston.
“I think we were just moving the ball,” Burrell said. “We were just so connected as a team. I think we were being so patient and intentional with the shots we were taking. I know for me, I was very intentional, playing off of two feet, that really helped as well.”
Meanwhile, Ogwumike said she’s very proud of Burrell’s development as a fifth-year player who is currently averaging a career-high 12.1 points in 26.9 minutes per game.
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“I was here when she joined the team (2022 1st round draft pick),” Ogwumike said. “I witnessed some serious adversity that she had to go through, and for her to establish herself as I think a future All-Star of this league, a future All-Defensive player for sure, and just seeing her maturity each day getting better, not just on the court but also maturing as a woman in the league.”
“Rae Rae is one of those players that brings a lot of light into a room,” Ogwumike continued. “She can really change the temperature of a room, and I’m very proud to see how much she’s been improving. This is just the beginning.”
11th time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike says LA Sparks guard Rae Burrell is going to be a future WNBA All-Star and a future WNBA All-Defensive player. pic.twitter.com/6uAZKW1dwa
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 9, 2026
The Sparks improved to 2-6 overall without All-Star reserve guard Kelsey Plum (23.9 points and 6.4 assists), who has missed the last four games with a leg injury and is expected to miss at least six more games through July 22.
“Time, chemistry,” Hamby said, “we’ve been working hard. Obviously, it hasn’t translated to necessarily wins, but we’re chipping away, and we believe in each other, and I think it showed (Wednesday night).”
Cameron Brink (9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots) has missed the past five games with an ankle injury but is expected to be re-evaluated soon and will likely return to action before Plum does.
Despite missing the team’s best offensive and defensive players, according to Sparks coach Lynne Roberts, they found a way to win against Indiana, which was led by All-Star starter Kelsey Mitchell’s 29 points, including five 3-pointers. It was All-Star starter Caitlin Clark’s first game in more than two weeks because of a lingering back injury. Clark finished with nine points, four rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes.
Forward Alissa Pili was a spark off the bench in her first game as a developmental contract player with the Sparks. Pili finished with four points, five rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes.
“My main focus was just how can I impact the game,” Pili said. “It doesn’t just have to be scoring. There’s so many different ways to impact the game, so I think that was my main focus, bringing energy and doing what I could with the time I got.”
CHICAGO (7-14) AT SPARKS (9-11)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: ION
Alissa Pili on playing in her first game a developmental contract player with the Los Angeles Sparks and how Kelsey Plum held the team accountable recently, which motivated them to beat the Indiana Fever. pic.twitter.com/pXhoK07l7c
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— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 9, 2026