Final: Sky 95, Sparks 88. Los Angeles took a small fourth-quarter lead, but a 22-7 Chicago run put this out of reach. Sparks played well in the second and third quarters, but the first and fourth killed them. They fall to 11-18. Dearica Hamby had 22 points, 14 rebounds.

Ariel Atkins has gone back to the locker room. On replay, it looked like Atkins took a shot to the chest or stomach area from DiJonai Carrington on a drive and that was what floored her. Atkins appeared in a lot of discomfort.

Justin Russo@flybyknite.bsky.social · 26m ago

Ariel Atkins was down for some time before getting up and then going down again. Atkins is surrounded by her Sparks teammates and still on the floor as the game went to commercial. Atkins has dealt with a concussion earlier this season, as well as a broken nose.

Ariel Atkins was down for some time before getting up and then going down again. Atkins is surrounded by her Sparks teammates and still on the floor as the game went to commercial. Atkins has dealt with a concussion earlier this season, as well as a broken nose.

Cameron Brink took a wayward elbow to the jaw and was whistled for a foul on it. Brink was down for a bit before getting up. Referees determined that Brink committed a foul before getting clocked in the face, but on replay it looks like the contact to the jaw happened first.

End Q3 | Sparks 62, Sky 61 | Los Angeles used an extended 18-2 run to get back in this. They’ve also racked up 21 assists on 23 made baskets, and held Chicago to just 13 third-quarter points. Dearica Hamby has a game-high 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Being a referee is a thankless job. Games are so fast and physical that it’s almost impossible to get things completely right all the time. But WNBA referees have a uncanny penchant for making every wrong call you can ever make and being steadfast in their wrongness.

It took until the 6:46 mark of the third quarter for the Los Angeles Sparks to net their first unassisted basket of the game. Their first 17 made field goals were all assisted.

Second half thing to keep an eye on: Sparks had 15 first-half assists, putting them on pace for a 30-assist game. It would be their third consecutive game of at least 30 assists. No team in WNBA history has ever had three consecutive 30+ assist games.

Halftime: Sky 48, Sparks 38. The good: Los Angeles has assisted on all 15 of their made baskets. The bad: They shot just 42%. The ugly: Also turned it over 9 times. Dearica Hamby leads them with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Jacy Sheldon has 12 for Chicago.

Should be mentioned that the biggest thing with Cameron Brink so far is that she just hasn’t been on the court enough. Obviously the injuries have played a factor, but she’s still under 1,000 career minutes. It’ll take time to reach her ceiling, but she has to stay on the floor.

Justin Russo@flybyknite.bsky.social · 1h ago

Cameron Brink clearly makes an impact when she’s on the court. But the problem, as it has been, is the foul trouble. While the whistle isn’t always the greatest, the lack of being able to stay on the floor through fouling has had a negative impact on her ability to make progress.

Cameron Brink clearly makes an impact when she’s on the court. But the problem, as it has been, is the foul trouble. While the whistle isn’t always the greatest, the lack of being able to stay on the floor through fouling has had a negative impact on her ability to make progress.

End Q1 | Sky 33, Sparks 19 | Los Angeles went scoreless for nearly 3 minutes near the end of the quarter, and Chicago hit them with a 13-0 run. Sparks shot 37%, missing their final 5 shots of the quarter. Chicago made 5 triples. Rae Burrell has 6 points to lead the Sparks.

Monique Akoa Makani has checked in to make her Los Angeles Sparks debut.

Rae Burrell has made 21 of her last 40 3-point attempts.

Starters for Sparks at Sky tonight:

Asked Lynne Roberts pregame tonight if there’s been something that’s impressed her early on about Monique Akoa Makoni. The Sparks haven’t been able to get a full practice in yet, but they have done a shootaround and court work with lower-minute players:

Monique Akoa Makani is someone that Lynne Roberts sees being able to play the one or the two for the Sparks when on the floor. There is no restriction on Akoa Makani as far as minutes goes for tonight in Chicago.

Tonie Morgan and Alissa Pili, who are both in the developmental spots for the Sparks, have been ruled OUT tonight by the team. Sparks will have their full allotment of 12 players, though, as the rest are good to go.

Los Angeles Sparks have no injuries to report ahead of tomorrow’s game at Chicago. The Sky, meanwhile, have listed Sydney Taylor as QUESTIONABLE, and both Azurá Stevens and Skylar Diggins are OUT.

Kelsey Plum: 8-5 this WNBA season

Kelsey Plum’s debut with the Phoenix Mercury sees her finish with 20 points and 4 assists in 20 minutes, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining. Phoenix was +18 in the 15 minutes that Plum shared floor with Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and DeWanna Bonner.

Kelsey Plum checked into her first game with the Phoenix Mercury a few moments ago and, as you would expect, wasted no time doing what she does best: getting a bucket. Plum’s first basket with Phoenix is a pull-up 3-pointer.

🚨 A draining 24 hours for the Los Angeles Sparks ended with a huddle, showing togetherness. The Sparks, after trading star guard Kelsey Plum, rallied to end a six-game losing streak, thanks in large part to the veteran voices still in the locker room: justinrusso.substack.com/p/sparks-ral...

Sparks rally to snuff Fire, end losing streak after whirlwind 24 hours

The team’s first win since July 10.

justinrusso.substack.com

Asked Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts what this win felt like for the team, not just mentally but emotionally, considering the six-game losing streak they carried into today’s game, with some very close losses during that stretch, and everything else going on:

Nneka Ogwumike was asked by The Athletic’s @sabreenajm.bsky.social postgame tonight what it was like for the team to get the news about Kelsey Plum’s trade and still just have to focus on coming in today:

This starting lineup was +2 in their 15 minutes together in Sunday’s win.

Justin Russo@flybyknite.bsky.social · last wk.

It sounds unfathomable but the Sparks’ starting lineup of Wheeler, Atkins, Burrell, Ogwumike, and Hamby played 159 minutes in July, posted a +5.3 Net Rating (108.6 ORTG, 103.2 DRTG), assisted on 70% of their made shots, and had a 61.9 TS%, and yet the team went 2-7 this month.

Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 of her 22 points in the second half on 7-for-11 shooting.

Justin Russo@flybyknite.bsky.social · 3d ago

Final: Sparks 106, Fire 101. A whirlwind 24 hours ends with Los Angeles snapping their six-game losing streak. Dearica Hamby (23 PTS, 10 REB) and Nneka Ogwumike (22 PTS, 10 REB) were big today. So, too, was Jihyun Park (12 PTS). Sparks are 11-17. They’re in Chicago on Wednesday.

Final: Sparks 106, Fire 101. A whirlwind 24 hours ends with Los Angeles snapping their six-game losing streak. Dearica Hamby (23 PTS, 10 REB) and Nneka Ogwumike (22 PTS, 10 REB) were big today. So, too, was Jihyun Park (12 PTS). Sparks are 11-17. They’re in Chicago on Wednesday.

Nneka Ogwumike’s wing 3-pointer gave the Sparks the lead, and then Dearica Hamby’s layup extends it to 100-96 with 30 seconds left. Los Angeles is attempting to end a six-game losing streak on the day they traded their star guard Kelsey Plum.

Back-to-back second chance opportunities for Portland are cashed in, and the Sparks’ lead has vanished under a 9-2 run by the Fire. Sparks trail 96-95 with 1:32 left.