NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
With a 3-day break since the last time the LA Sparks took the floor, which was a loss to the surprising Toronto Tempo at home. With a 1-3 record, maybe hitting the road is good. Having the time off is just what the Sparks need to get rolling and stack up some wins. The weekend left us still with questions we need answers to.
Weekend Thoughts:
Friday’s game was the kind of win that makes you feel good as a fan and player. LA scored the first 10 points. They built a 20-point second-half lead before the Tempo fought back to within two with just over two minutes to play.
The Sparks held on 99-95, and the difference was Kelsey Plum. Plum had 18 of her 25 points after halftime. She and Nneka Ogwumike combined for six crucial late points to seal it. Ogwumike finished with 20, Dearica Hamby added 19, and Rae Burrell chipped in 13 in a total team effort.
Sunday, LA was not able to bring the same energy. Toronto was tied for a bit and then led the rest of the way, most of the time by double digits.
Brittney Sykes was ON FIRE, pouring in a career-high 38 points, shooting a perfect 15-for-15 from the free-throw line. The Tempo rolled to 106-96 dub. The Sparks had no answer for the former guard, who looked like a different player on her old home floor, making them pay for letting her go in all sorts of ways.
Who showed up, you ask? Plum gave it her all, ending with 28 points, and Hamby helped with 21. Ogwumike added 17, and Latson contributed 11; the issue wasn’t scoring. It is the mental side.
The Sparks committed 14 turnovers and shot just 30% from three, getting burned in transition and giving Toronto easy buckets all game. The foul trouble didn’t help either. 59 fouls were called in a game that got intense at times, and this stopped LA from getting any kind of flow started.
Lock IN:
No one can debate that Kelsey Plum is on one early in the season, and the whole league is taking notice. Plum looks every bit like a first-team All-WNBA player through the first weeks, averaging almost 27 points across the two games.
Hamby has been a steady double-double threat we have come to expect. It’s the kind of veteran presence this team needs. The concern is everything around them. Turnovers remain a problem.
LA had 19 against Las Vegas to open the season. Then, 10 in the first half alone against Indiana before settling down. Sunday felt like a regression to bad habits, and this doesn’t equal winning basketball.
The Sparks hit Phoenix on Thursday to face a Mercury team riding the momentum of their 2025 Finals run. Phoenix’s size and half-court structure will test LA’s interior defense in a way Toronto’s youth didn’t. If Ogwumike can establish herself in the post and Plum stays aggressive, the Sparks can compete, but they cannot afford to give the ball away.
Now the Aces are another level, and the grit you saw on Sunday in Atlanta proves that championship DNA in its truest form.
The Aces are chasing back-to-back titles and remain the class of the Western Conference. A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray are the 3 headed monster. The Aces are the type of team that loves to play undisciplined teams, which is what the Sparks have shown to be. Giving them extra possessions will get you run out of the gym.
Final Words:
I see talent on this team with the players I have talked about so far this season. Now what we need to see is more focus in terms of ball handling, decision making, and shot making. These next two games will show if it’s a small fix or symptoms of a larger issue for the squad. Talk soon.
