The Los Angeles Sparks just dropped their sixth game in a row, falling 85-76 to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday afternoon. You read that right, *six straight* L’s, and this one was rough, especially when the squad was so shorthanded. With Cameron Brink, Erica Wheeler, and Monique Akoa Makani all out, players who hadn’t seen much consecutive court time suddenly got unexpected minutes. Unfortunately, the bench only managed to put up a meager eight points combined. And the three-point line? Absolute ice. A brutal 2-16 overall from behind the arc, man, that’s just tough to watch.
Early Flashes Couldn’t Stop the Cold Streak
The game actually started with both teams exchanging layups, which felt like a positive sign. Rae Burrell kicked things off with the first four points for LA. Dearica Hamby started getting to work early, scoring four points herself, and the Sparks were shooting a solid 55% from the field for a bit! But that early offense just couldn’t hold up. Connecticut’s Diamond Miller and Leila Lacan quickly combined for five points, and soon enough, the Sparks were down by five at the 4:40 mark. Raegan Beers dropped four points off the bench for the Sun, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa was already leading Connecticut with eight points. LA wrapped up the first quarter shooting 47% from the field, but they were a brutal 0-3 from deep. By the end of the first, the Sparks were down by seven.
The Third Quarter Meltdown That Sealed It
Tonie Morgan tried to spark things in the second period, putting up four early points for the Sparks. Saniya Rivers was playing well for Connecticut, pushing her point total to six. But that three-point drought for LA just kept going, missing all six attempts by mid-quarter! They were still shooting 44% from the field, though. By the 5:14 mark, Los Angeles trailed by seven, and Nelson-Ododa was absolutely cooking, leading *both* sides with 13 points. Burrell was the only Spark in double figures with 11 points, with Nneka Ogwumike and Hamby combining for 17. Halftime, they were down six. Manageable, right?
Nope. The third quarter started with Nelson-Ododa dropping a three-point play, which lit the fuse for a massive 9-0 Sun run and forced LA to call a timeout. Hamby even missed a layup coming out of the break, and Nelson-Ododa scored *again*, getting her to 18 points. LA tried to fight back with a 5-0 run, bringing the deficit down to 11, but Kennedy Burke shut that down fast, scoring four straight for Connecticut. Nneka Ogwumike was battling, putting up six points in the quarter, trying to keep them afloat. But the lead just ballooned for the Sun, who won the quarter 26-15. By the end of the third, the Sparks were down a whopping 17 points.
When you’re missing key players like Cameron Brink, Erica Wheeler, and Monique Akoa Makani, you *need* everyone else to step up. But that eight-point bench output and the awful 2-16 from three? That just ain’t gonna cut it. Six straight losses is brutal. They’ve gotta figure out how to dig out of this hole.
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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