LOS ANGELES — The Sparks will look to get back into the win column when they take on the first-place Minnesota Lynx in a Commissioner’s Cup finale Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Read more 2 Inland Empire men among those accused of plotting to attack UFC matches at White House
After playing Minnesota, the Sparks will host third-place New York Liberty on Sunday, which will commemorate the league’s 30th season between the historic franchises that played in the first WNBA game June 21, 1997.
However, wins against the the league’s upper-echelon teams have been fleeting this season. Only one of the Sparks’ seven wins this season has come against a team with a winning record.
The eighth-place Sparks (7-7 overall and 3-3 in Commissioner’s Cup play) are coming off a 78-58 loss at Golden State on Monday, which ended a three-game win streak against Portland (7-9, 10th), Seattle (3-12, 14th) and Phoenix (4-11, 13th).
“Defense is a choice,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the 20-point defeat. “We came out casual in the first quarter, we were down 15, and we were playing catch-up the whole time. To me, that’s the story of the game. Whether that’s 3-point defense or layups or whatever. It’s all of it.”
All-Star guard Kelsey Plum is averaging 25 points per game, but was held to a season-low nine points (3 of 10 shooting) before fouling out amid the squad’s overall poor shooting night.
Read more Blanche set for July confirmation hearings for attorney general as Republicans weigh support
The Sparks made only 20 of 60 attempts (33%) from the field, including 3 of 21 (14%) from beyond the arc.
Roberts did not have an in-depth explanation for her team’s performance.
“I think they played harder than we did,” Roberts said.
Reserve guard Rae Burrell scored a team-high 13 points. Reserve forward Cameron Brink scored 10 points.
None of the Sparks’ starting lineup, which consisted of guards Erica Wheeler, Kelsey Plum and Ariel Atkins and forwards Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby, scored more than nine points individually.
“There’s things you can learn from every game,” Hamby said. “For sure.”
The Lynx (11-3, 5-1) are coming off a 107-74 victory against the Portland Fire on Monday. They had seven players reach double figures in the scoring column, including all five starters: Natasha Howard (18 points), Courtney Williams (16 points), former Sparks forward Nia Coffey (15 points), Kayla McBride (14 points), and rookie of the year candidate Olivia Miles (12 points).
The Sparks lost all four games to Minnesota last season. Wednesday’s game will be the first of three regular-season matchups. The next two will be played July 15 and Aug. 6 in Minnesota.
Read more JD Vance went on television to plug a faith memoir. ‘The View’ had other plans
MINNESOTA (11-3) AT SPARKS (7-7)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: Spectrum SportsNet