The Los Angeles Sparks couldn’t seal the deal Wednesday night, dropping a tough road game to the Chicago Sky 95-88. What makes it sting even more? They battled back from a 10-point deficit in the second half, only to watch their comeback hopes fade. It’s that same old story with this squad, isn’t it? The inconsistency on offense, especially with Kelsey Plum no longer there, is absolutely crushing them.
Falling Behind Early, Digging Deep
You can’t start a game shooting 36.8% in the first quarter and expect to cruise. That’s exactly what the Sparks did, and man, did it hurt. They were down by a whopping 14 points by the end of the first period. Chicago jumped on them early, with Kamilla Cardoso and Aicha Coulibaly combining for eight points, and Rachel Banham coming in to spark a 6-0 run that gave the Sky a double-digit lead. Those scoring droughts hit hard in every single period, making it nearly impossible to grab control. You just can’t give teams those kinds of easy runs, not when you’re trying to win on the road.
The Fight Was Real, But Not Enough
Despite the early struggles, the Sparks refused to quit. Dearica Hamby started the second quarter with a layup and was absolutely the lone bright spot, hitting double figures with 10 points by halftime. Erica Wheeler chipped in with a midrange jumper, and Jihyun Park drained a triple, forcing a Chicago timeout. Even after Jacy Sheldon hit a three for the Sky, Hamby responded immediately with a three-pointer of her own. The bench stepped up big-time, too, with Cameron Brink and Jihyun Park combining for 18 points. Monique Akoa Makani got her first points as a Spark with a sweet midrange jumper, and Rae Burrell was perfect, going 2-2 from deep. They cut a 14-point lead down to 10 by halftime, trailing 48-38. The Sky even cooled off, shooting just 33% in the second quarter. It looked like the momentum was shifting!
Then, in the third, Hamby continued her dominance, converting two free throws after being fouled, then adding a layup to cut the deficit to just six points. Their scoring run kept growing, and Chicago had to call another timeout. The Sparks even stole the ball right out of that break! But that’s when things started to unravel again. The offense stagnated, Chicago capitalized with another run to regain a double-digit lead, and a four-minute scoring drought hit. Nneka Ogwumike, who only had two shot attempts in the second, tried to ignite things, breaking the drought with a putback layup and then another layup, but it was too little, too late. This team fights, but those droughts? They’re killers. It’s just so frustrating to see them claw back into it, only to watch it slip away. They’ve gotta find that offensive consistency, or these losses are gonna keep piling up.
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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