The Los Angeles Sparks finally snapped their losing streak on Saturday, somehow surviving a wild fourth quarter to down the Connecticut Sun 77-68. Yeah, you read that right. The Sparks were up by as many as 22 points in the final frame, then just let the Sun claw back to within single digits in the last minute. This one came down to the wire, but a win’s a win, right?
The Great Escape After An Ice-Cold Finish
Let’s be real, the end of this game was a total stress-fest. The Sparks did not score for the final 6:12 of the contest. Think about that: over six minutes of radio silence on the scoreboard while the Sun were just coming at them. Connecticut went on an insane rally, but thankfully for LA, time just ran out. Talk about cutting it close! It was a real test of nerves, but hey, they held on. The bench came up big with 19 points, which was crucial. Overall, LA shot 8-18 from deep and 51% from the field. They also dominated the fastbreak points, 13-2, which shows they were moving early.
Hot Starts and Rookie Sparks
The game actually started off super strong for Los Angeles. They grabbed an early four-point lead, showing some real offensive firepower. Even after Leila Lacan hit a triple for Connecticut to cut it, the Sparks kept pushing. Rae Burrell was absolutely cooking, putting up six points early, with Nneka Ogwumike right on her heels with five. Lacan was leading the Sun with seven, but LA was just rolling. They were up by nine at the 5:23 mark, shooting a ridiculous 76% from the field and 40% from behind the arc. Cameron Brink came off the bench and immediately provided a spark, dropping five points before Diamond Miller hit a three for Connecticut. Unfortunately, Brink picked up her third foul late in the first quarter, which was a bit of a bummer. Still, Emma Cannon drained a triple to end the first, putting LA up by 10 with 32 points on the board.
The second quarter saw Tonie Morgan get things going with a layup. Both teams seemed to hit a bit of a wall, missing eight shots each, but the Sparks still extended their lead to 18 points with five minutes left. Burrell and Ariel Atkins added four points together, keeping the momentum going. LA’s shooting dipped to 27% in the quarter, but Connecticut was even colder at 20%. Burrell was the first Spark to hit double figures, getting to 11 points, while Nneka was still right there with seven. LA was up by 14 with 2:32 left, but then things got a little too interesting. The Sun went on an 11-1 run to close the half, cutting that comfortable lead all the way down to eight. Burrell started the third quarter strong too, converting a layup to push LA back into double digits.
This game was a roller coaster. While they got the win, that fourth quarter collapse is definitely something the Sparks need to look at. You can’t let a 22-point lead almost vanish in thin air. They escaped this time, but staying locked in for a full 40 minutes is what’s going to matter moving forward.
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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