{"id":6053,"date":"2026-05-14T06:01:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T06:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6053"},"modified":"2026-05-14T06:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T06:01:27","slug":"sparks-cant-keep-pace-with-caitlin-clark-and-the-fever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6053","title":{"rendered":"Sparks can\u2019t keep pace with Caitlin Clark and the Fever"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said she was prepared for a high-scoring affair against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Read more Shohei Ohtani stifles Giants as Dodgers end 4-game skid<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sparks trailed by as many as 21 points in the second half but cut the Fever\u2019s lead to 83-76 with 1:23 to go. Kelsey Plum\u2019s corner 3-point attempt, which would have made it a two-possession game, rimmed out with 56 seconds left and Indiana handed the Sparks an 87-78 loss at Crypto.com Arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not afraid to get into a high-scoring game,\u201d Roberts said before the game, \u201cbut we\u2019ve got to be better defensively at all facets and the players know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sparks had a poor shooting night from 3-point range and could not keep up with the Fever\u2019s offense, led by All-Stars Caitlin Clark (24 points, nine assists) and Kelsey Mitchell (23 points).<\/p>\n

Plum scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting for the Sparks (0-2), who shot 2 for 15 from behind the arc. Dearica Hamby scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, while Cameron Brink had 11 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots off the bench. Nneka Ogwumike and Rae Burrell each scored 10 points.<\/p>\n

Sparks guard Ariel Atkins, acquired in the trade that sent Rickea Jackson to Chicago last month, suffered a head injury in the third quarter and did not return. She finished with two points in 16 minutes.<\/p>\n

Indiana (1-1) shot 56% from the field in the first half, going 19 for 34.<\/p>\n

Clark was hot early, scoring Indiana\u2019s first five points.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cCaitlin is one of one, too,\u201d Roberts explained. \u201cShe is unique in that when the ball crosses halfcourt, it\u2019s in the scoring zone. We have our hands full.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brink\u2019s blocked shot against Clark late in the first quarter energized the crowd and her teammates. She later defended Fever center Aliyah Boston well on the low block and helped hold her scoreless in the first half.<\/p>\n

\u201cCam\u2019s good,\u201d Roberts said before the game. \u201cShe\u2019s fine. My charge to her is to drown out the noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sparks trailed just 24-20 at the end of the first quarter and pulled within 29-26 on a Hamby layup with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter. But the Fever scored the next nine points as part of a 19-8 run to finish the half, taking a 48-34 lead to the locker room at the break. Mitchell did not miss a shot in the quarter, draining all three of her 3-point tries as well as a step-back jumper.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Sparks trailed 68-52 heading into the fourth.<\/p>\n

Clark\u2019s only 3-point basket of the night, in seven attempts, came with 4:51 left in the fourth to extend Indiana\u2019s lead to 78-63. The Sparks went on an 11-3 run, capped by a shot in the lane from Plum to get within 83-76 with 1:23 left. After a Fever turnover, Plum missed her open 3-point try from the corner. Clark \u2013 who had nine points in the fourth \u2013 then found Mitchell on an inbounds pass for a layup to give Indiana an 85-76 lead with 33.2 left.<\/p>\n

Second-year Fever coach Stephanie White said her team\u2019s backcourt chemistry remains a work in progress.<\/p>\n

Read more LAFC falls in St. Louis as losing streak reaches 3 games<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still growing,\u201d White said. \u201cWhen you think about Caitlin and Aliyah, they really had a natural symmetry with the point guard and post player. With Caitlin and Kelsey, it\u2019s trying to figure out how you\u2019ve got two ball-dominant players that can get their shots. I thought their Year 1 together, they figured it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie Cunningham added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Monique Billings had nine points and eight rebounds in her regular-season debut for Indiana (1-1). Boston had four points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 3:32 left in the fourth.<\/p>\n

NOT AVAILABLE<\/h4>\n

Forward Sania Feagin, the Sparks\u2019 second-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, was ruled out with a leg injury and did not play against Indiana.<\/p>\n

Sparks guard Kate Martin, who signed a developmental contract before Sunday\u2019s season opener after being waived by Golden State on May 7, was not called up to the active roster. She said she\u2019s been healthy for more than a week but is still working on getting back into game shape.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think my role right now is to be the best development player I can possibly be,\u201d Martin said. \u201cGet in extra workouts. Be a great teammate. Do whatever the team needs me to do. Be a great hype woman on the bench. That\u2019s my role tonight. We\u2019re still learning what the development role entails, but as of now, it\u2019s to be where my feet are. Buy-in to being an L.A. Spark and give it all I\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

UP NEXT<\/h4>\n

The Sparks will conclude a four-game homestand with consecutive against the expansion Toronto Tempo (1-1) on Friday and Sunday.<\/p>\n

\n

LA Sparks guard Kate Martin said she\u2019s trying to be the best developmental player she can be. <\/p>\n

Martin said she\u2019s not expecting to play in tonight\u2019s home game against the Indiana Fever. pic.twitter.com\/JgbFtpRhZO<\/p>\n

\u2014 John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 14, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts\u2019 pregame media conference on Cameron Brink\u2019s confidence, Nneka Ogwumike\u2019s leadership and guard Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. pic.twitter.com\/vw8SgcL1Y2<\/p>\n

\u2014 John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 14, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White says Caitlin Clark will not have a minutes restriction against the Los Angeles Sparks. Coach White says Aliyah Boston will play between 25-30 minutes. pic.twitter.com\/MY1kOeAJ0d<\/p>\n

Read more Galaxy beaten by last-place Kansas City \u2013 again<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 14, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sparks get 25 points from Kelsey Plum and trim a 21-point deficit to seven with 1:23 left, but they can\u2019t get any closer in an 87-78 defeat. Clark (24 points, nine assists) and Kelsey Mitchell (23 points) pace the Fever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facts","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSparks can\u2019t keep pace with Caitlin Clark and the Fever - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6053\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sparks can\u2019t keep pace with Caitlin Clark and the Fever - Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Sparks get 25 points from Kelsey Plum and trim a 21-point deficit to seven with 1:23 left, but they can\u2019t get any closer in an 87-78 defeat. 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