The LA Sparks battled hard for three quarters coming out of the FIBA break, but then the bottom fell out in the fourth, getting absolutely blown out by the Dallas Wings in a 97-77 loss. It was a close one late in the third, with LA only trailing 62-58, but then Dallas hit them with a crushing 7-0 run to end the frame. Ouch. That momentum shift was brutal, and the Wings kept pouring it on, outscoring the Sparks 28-19 in the final period.
First Half Fight: Sparks Showed Some Real Grit
Dallas actually started hot, going up by five points early, but Dearica Hamby got the Sparks on the board with a layup and LA quickly snatched the lead. Hamby was leading the charge with four points before Rae Burrell started heating up, adding six. At the 4:40 mark, LA was up by one and then tacked on seven in a row to cushion that lead. Dallas got some scoring from Aziaha James, and both teams were pretty even inside the paint, scoring 12 points each. LA did have the upper hand in fastbreak points, 7-5. The first quarter ended all tied up.
The second period kicked off with Alysha Clark bringing energy off the bench for Dallas, hitting a layup and then a triple. But Burrell kept grinding for LA, adding another four points to push her to 10 for the half. She and Hamby were the only Sparks players in double figures. Neither team could really get consistent offense going in that quarter, but the Sparks were definitely getting it done in the paint, outscoring Dallas 12-2. At halftime, the game was knotted up again, with the Sparks shooting 40% from the field and 36% from deep. Nneka Ogwumike was doing work with 11 points and six rebounds. This team was right there, you know?
The Third Quarter Collapse That Blew It All Up
Nneka started the third with a turnaround jumper, looking like the Sparks were ready to take control. But then both teams got super sloppy offensively, trading turnovers and looking totally discombobulated. Arike Ogunbowale started to catch fire for the Wings with a triple and then four points, and Dallas started building some steam. Maddy Siegrist then knocked down a three, putting the Wings up by five, forcing LA to call a timeout. Out of the break, Aaliyah Nye gave us a spark, knocking down a three in her Sparks debut. That was huge! But then came that 7-0 run by Dallas to close the third. You just can’t give up runs like that, especially when the game is so tight. It totally changed the vibe and let Dallas pull away just when LA needed to hold strong. The fourth quarter was just a casualty after that, a really tough loss after fighting so hard.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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