Los Angeles Sparks forward Rae Burrell expresses her frustration during her team’s game against the Golden State Valkyries at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
Golden State Valkyries guard Gabby Williams attempts a layup during her team’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynne Roberts expresses her exasperation during her team’s game against the Golden State Valkyries at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
Los Angeles Sparks guard Ariel Atkins drives toward the basket during her team’s game against the Golden State Valkyries at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes puts up a fade-away shot during her team’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink jobs past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, who’s screaming in celebration during the two teams’ game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
Los Angeles Sparks Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün drives toward the basket facing two Los Angeles Sparks defenders during the two team’s game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on August 9, 2026. (Photo by Kai Dizon/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — The game was like an unnecessary reboot of the same middling show – or worse, just another retelling of the same, painful story.
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Sunday was the Sparks’ first return to Crypto.com Arena since they traded Kelsey Plum to Phoenix on Aug. 1 – although her on-the-court presence had left long before.
The only player Los Angeles received for the injured, five-time All-Star was guard Monique Akoa Makani.
But Akoa Makani didn’t play in the Sparks’ 84-78 loss to the Golden State Valkyries due to a right-ankle injury she sustained Thursday, coach Lynne Roberts said.
Just three days after the Sparks pulled off an upset win over the first-place Minnesota Lynx with Akoa Makani on the floor, they proved no match for the second-place Valkyries without her.
“Golden State is good,” Roberts said. “They’re a really good team, and credit to them. They’re having a hell of a season. But that said, we were right there. And I think if we could get that first quarter back — . But life doesn’t work that way.”
The Sparks changed their colors – donning the teal and gold Rebel Edition Uniforms – but the injury-plagued team otherwise looked very much the same.
Los Angeles sputtered out the gate, as Golden State essentially lapped it with a 29-15 advantage after the first quarter.
By halftime, that gap shrunk – but only to 45-32. The Valkyries were shooting 54.5% from the field to the Sparks’ 37.5%. From deep, the discrepancy was 41.2% to 33.3%.
“I think today was kind of more of a mind over matter type of a day,” Nneka Ogwumike said. “It took us a little bit of time to kind of get into the game. But I am happy that we didn’t just acquiesce to the results of the first quarter.”
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Ogwumike paced the Sparks (12-19) with 16 points off 7-for-18 shooting, with Erica Wheeler on her tail with 15 and Dearica Hamby adding 12 points.
Off the bench, Kiana Williams put up double-digit points (11) for just the second time this season.
Rae Burrell, who led the team with 17 points against Minnesota, notched nine points in the fourth quarter alone – but that only came after three scoreless quarters.
For the Valkyries (23-9), Cecilia Zandalasini led with 15 points – and starters Kayla Thornton and Gabby Williams each scored 11, with Tiffany Hayes adding 14 off the bench.
Golden State held its largest lead of the evening, 19, just 24 seconds into the final quarter.
But like they have so many times this season, the Sparks battled to the buzzer – a fourth-quarter push pulled them within 74-73, and later at 84-78.
“We were trying to get Rae going,” Roberts said. “Against Golden State, you’re going to have a hard time attacking from the wings.”
The shooting-percentage discrepancies at halftime had all but evened out – largely thanks to Los Angeles’ field goal percentage jumping 15.1% between its first half and second half marks. The Valkyries shot 32-for-69 from the field, 12-for-34 from deep and 8-for-9 from the line Sunday. Meanwhile, the Sparks shot 32-for-70, 10-for-31 and 4-for-9, respectively.
But basketball does not give an A for effort.
The Sparks have lost eight of their last 10.
“Yeah, the result is not what we want, but we fought like hell out there,” Wheeler said. “Golden State is a great team. They play great defense. So for us to be able to execute down the stretch in the fourth quarter, we beat them by eleven – that’s not easy to do.”
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Wheeler added: “Throw that first quarter out, it’s a different ballgame.”