LOS ANGELES–Nneka Ogwumike led the Los Angeles Sparks with 15 points and four rebounds, and Brittney Sykes added 13 points and five rebounds as the Sparks lost to the Chicago Sky 82-59.
The Sparks fall out of the final playoff position with the loss as they reach the season’s midpoint.
Los Angeles’s rebounding woes and defensive lapses continued against the Sky. Former Sparks and current Sky, Candace Parker led the rebounding charge for the Sky with 14 en-route to setting a WNBA record for her third triple-double. Parker’s second triple-double of the season moves her past Sheryl Swoopes, Courtney Vandersloot, and Sabrina Ionescu, whom all have two.
Defensively, Los Angeles was out of sorts — frequently failing to rotate and giving Chicago easy open looks at the rim.
“I thought the rotation was okay at points,” said Sparks head coach Fred Williams. “It’s hard to rotate when you’re in transition, and that’s all about the will and getting back and stopping the basketball and not giving players and teams layups.”
If the Sparks are to turn things around, they are running out of games to do so.
LOS ANGELES– Nneka Ogwumike scored 16 points as the Los Angeles Sparks lost to the Las Vegas Aces 89-72 and fell in a two-way tie with the New York Liberty for 8th place.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
The Sparks played noticeably different after they parted ways with former General Manager and Head Coach Derek Fisher. Interim head coach Frank Williams vowed to distribute minutes equally amongst the roster; however, no one that Los Angeles threw at Aja Wilson could stop her.
The Las Vegas center was in MVP form, scoring 22 of her season-high 35 points in the first half.
However, at times Wilson left Liz Cambage visibly frustrated.
Williams stated, “Guarding Aja Wilson is a tough task because she knows how to get down and fadeaway and get her shot up.”
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
Moving forward, Williams plans on altering defensive schematics in hopes that it can protect Cambage.
“With a new way that we are trying to be aggressive on defense, it’s going to help Liz a little bit more to keep her inside the paint instead of coming out on the shooter.”
Despite the drubbing, Williams and the Sparks remain optimistic. Williams wants the Sparks to shoot 75-80 shots a game. Los Angeles shot 36.6% from the field on 26-of-71 attempts. The length of Las Vegas crowded the paint and forced the Sparks to settle for long jumpers.
Los Angeles battled and stayed engaged despite the insurmountable deficit.
“I still had their eyes in the huddle,” Williams stated.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
The Sparks, having twice faced the Aces with minimal practice time, have been dealt bad hands.
Los Angeles has had little time to sure up defensive schemes and philosophies. In addition, Los Angeles’ restrictions and a coaching change have not been easy on the talent-rich team.
Nonetheless, Williams stated, “By the time we play next time here at home, you will see a big-time result here with this team.”
Sparks fans look forward to the changes that lie ahead.
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Storm ended their historic eight game homestand with a satisfying victory against the Atlanta Dream. There were shades of Seattle’s past two games, losses that came due to an inability to finish. That wouldn’t be the case, and one instance in particular was a perfect example of it. In the fourth quarter, the Dream went on a 13-point run to bring them within striking distance. Instead of failing to respond, Breanna Stewart hit a three pointer and the Storm were able to pull away.
Seattle’s point guard Jewell Loyd continues her hot form from a breakout 2021 campaign. Loyd, nicknamed the Gold Mamba, again led the team in scoring with 26 points. Loyd sparked the offense, including a 13-point first quarter. The Gold Mamba also was one of only two players to get to the free throw line, going a perfect six for six. Loyd’s offensive fire is a primary factor in Seattle’s ability to contend, and she discussed her night postgame.
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“I don’t think the basket felt any bigger, I was getting some good rhythm shots from my teammates getting me open, taking what the defense gave me. I was just trying to make the game as simple as possible. Night by night, we don’t know what defenses will do, but knowing that regardless of that I can pass it to these guys (referring to Stewart and Magbegor), we’re in good hands,” Loyd remarked.
For momentums sake, Seattle needed to bounce back from their last two losses. Having leads, failing to hit shots, and just looking like a shell of who they are made some worried about the Storm. It is early, and the Storm are growing, and some of that growth showed in this win. Seattle closed out this game with timely buckets and stiff defense, holding young stars Rhyne Howard and Aari McDonald to 18 points collectively.
An eight game homestand is tied for the longest in WNBA history, and it is a big opportunity for the team in question to build chemistry. Over the course of those eight games, Seattle finishes the set with a 5-3 record. The Storm will now prepare for a five-game road trip, featuring rematches the last two teams they lost to in Dallas and Connecticut. With limited practice reps, Seattle will have to build chemistry and work towards contending in-game. Head coach Noelle Quinn would discuss how the team will do that postgame
Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News
“We don’t have practice time. We will have to find ways to get better in game, watching film in those sessions. Feeling the rhythm, feeling the cadence, feeling the chemistry with each other, it has to happen fast and immediately. In games like this, we show the team that we can be when we have our film sessions,” Quinn stated.
Seattle’s next matchup comes on Friday, June 10th against the Dallas Wings. The Storm will start their road trip in Dallas, with a 5PM PST tip off. Seattle will look to contain the back court of Arike Ogunbowale, Allisha Gray, and Marina Mabrey better than the first time that the two teams matched up. Those three together accounted for more than half of the Wings points.
LOS ANGELES(June 7, 2022) – The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that the organization has parted ways with General Manager/Head Coach Derek Fisher, effective immediately. Assistant Coach Fred Williams will serve as Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2022 season. The Sparks will now begin a search for the next general manager.
“After a thorough evaluation of the state of our team, the Sparks and GM/Head Coach Derek Fisher have agreed to part ways,” Managing Partner Eric Holoman said. “On behalf of our ownership group, I want to thank Derek for his efforts and contributions to the Sparks franchise. We wish him the best moving forward. I have full confidence in Fred Williams to step into the role of interim head coach, bringing a wealth of experience leading WNBA teams.”
Fred Williams
Fisher was hired as head coach on Dec. 5, 2018, and named general manager on Dec. 22, 2020. In three plus seasons, Fisher had a regular season record of 54-46. The team qualified for the postseason twice in his tenure, with a 1-4 playoff record. The Sparks are currently 5-7 and sit in 8th place in the WNBA standings.
“I want to thank the LA Sparks organization, ownership, staff, players, and fans for the opportunity they have afforded me over the last four years as a part of this historic franchise,” Fisher said. “Their support has allowed me to grow as both a coach and front office executive and I am proud of what we have accomplished.”
“The Sparks and I have mutually agreed to part ways as I shift my focus back to pursuing other opportunities and private endeavors,” Fisher added. “It has been an amazing ride and I wish the entire LA sparks organization great success moving forward.”
Interim Head Coach Fred Williams takes over with 30 years of experience in women’s basketball. He most recently served as head coach of the Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings from 2014-2018, where he coached Sparks center Liz Cambage. Williams has also been the head coach of the Atlanta Dream (2012-2013), the Utah Starzz (1999-2001), and the University of Southern California (1995-1997). In 2013, he led the Dream to the WNBA Finals.
“I appreciate the opportunity to steer the team under these circumstances, alongside assistant coaches Latricia Trammell and Seimone Augustus,” Williams said. “We have a talented group of players focused on making a run to the WNBA playoffs and we will collectively embrace this challenge.”
WNBA
The Sparks next game is Saturday, June 11 against the Las Vegas Aces at 6 p.m. PT at Crypto.com Arena.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS
Founded in 1996, the Los Angeles Sparks are one of three original franchises in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Sparks have won three WNBA Championships (2001, 2002, 2016), have qualified for the playoffs in 20 of their 25 seasons and remain the only active team in the league to win back-to-back titles. The Los Angeles Sparks are dedicated to ensuring each home game at Crypto.com Arena has a championship level entertainment experience while showcasing the best female athletes from around the world on the court. LA Sparks 2022 season tickets are available for purchase.
Seattle, WA – A 32-point fourth quarter and monster efforts from Brionna Jones and Jonquel Jones gave the Connecticut Sun a comeback win over the Seattle Storm. Seattle started the game hot, as Ezi Magbegor’s big game started by scoring the Storm’s first eight points. Ultimately, Seattle’s mistakes and uncharacteristically subpar defense gave them the loss, dropping their record to 5-5 on the season.
At a point in the first half, the Storm lead sat at 13. Heading into the fourth quarter, Seattle’s lead was six points. Four minutes into that final quarter, the Sun had flipped the game on its head and lead by eight. Connecticut was able to get to the charity stripe with ease, attempting 30 free throws. While the Sun only made six shots from beyond the arch on the night, a couple threes in that quarter by DeWanna Bonner and DiJonai Carrington hurt Seattle. The Storm’s inability to build on leads continues, this time resulting in a loss. Storm point guard Sue Bird stated what she thought went into the loss.
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“This is one of those games where it is hard to pinpoint what went wrong. When I watch film, I’ll have a better answer for you… it felt like we had a lot of turnovers, and the basket got bigger and bigger for them. They were hitting threes late that they didn’t hit in the first half. They were able to comeback when we were up by ten at one point. Once they got things going, we couldn’t find ways to overcome it,” Bird said.
The Connecticut duo of Brionna Jones and Jonquel Jones caused problems for Seattle all game, but especially in the second half. The two Jones’ combined for 46 of Connecticut’s 93 points, and they seemingly powered the Sun comeback. Jonquel Jones is coming off of an MVP season in 2021, and hadn’t started this season off in that way until this matchup. The June 5th game against Seattle may be a launching point for Jonquel, who totaled 25 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Seattle point guard Sue Bird would reflect on the impact the Sun front court had on the game.
“This is a team that was very high in rebounding coming in, we knew we had to be on our game in offensive rebounding. When you add the size, it makes them hard to guard down low. I personally don’t think its insurmountable, I think we made mistakes that they capitalized on. If you noticed in the second half, we played a lot of zone; that’s not normally what we play. These are things that we have to work on,” Bird reflected.
This is a tough loss for Seattle to swallow, considering that the team at one point held a 13-point lead over a great Connecticut team. Add to the fact that the Storm had their full roster healthy for the first time all season, and you would figure that Seattle won this game. There are some reasons for concern when you look at the Storm losses, but ultimately it is not time to panic. Seattle now has their full roster, they will continue to build, and will have to learn from the past two losses.
Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News
The Storm will close out their historic homestand with a matchup against the Atlanta Dream at Climate Pledge Arena. Tipoff is at 7PM PST on Tuesday, June 7th as Atlanta brings their 7-4 record to town for the first time this season. A new look Dream, showing a ton of improvement over last season, will look to hand Seattle their third straight loss.
Seattle, WA – The contest between the Seattle Storm and Dallas Wings was a gritty, hard-fought matchup. Several calls did not go Seattle’s way, and the whistles got into the Storm’s head. Several times it looked like Seattle may be mounting a comeback, but time and time again Dallas would answer. The Storm record would drop to 5-4 overall, and 2-3 in commissioners cup play.
To start the season, the Storm bench played a critical role in the team’s success. Players such as Epiphanny Prince and Steph Talbot had provided a spark off the bench, on both ends of the court. In this loss to Dallas, Seattle’s bench as a collective scored two points. Those came from Mercedes Russell, who was playing her first minutes of the season. The offense as a whole has not fully hit their stride, and that was apparent in this game. Head coach Noelle Quinn spoke on what she needed to see from the bench going forward.
“Think about what we’ve done defensively to get that group going, that is where it starts… Pip is a consummate professional, but we need more from her. Steph is coming back; she needs to get into rhythm. We have players that have the ability to influence the energy, that group needs to work a little extra to get better shots,” Quinn said.
The Dallas Wings responded to Seattle’s comeback attempts, time and time again. There were multiple instances where the Storm would begin to claw their way back, but the Wings would answer back.
Whether it was a three pointer to answer back, or Dallas scoring off of Seattle turnovers, the Wings had all the answers. It was clear that the Storm never really felt comfortable, but it is still relatively early in the season. Seattle has still yet to play with all 12 players on their roster healthy. Head coach Noelle Quinn would discuss the mindset in the locker room following the loss.
“I made sure that we touched on the fact that no matter what lineup is on the floor, no matter who we have available to play, our competitiveness and fight cannot waiver. I don’t think that we had that consistently tonight. By no means do we panic, but we cannot rely on getting people back. Not everything will be okay. We have to consistently show up on both sides of the court, and consistently be pros,” Quinn would remark.
This matchup sat near the top of the list when it came to toughest games that the Storm could play in their homestand. Dallas is a young team that has plenty of offensive firepower, and loads of potential with all but two players on their roster aged 25 or younger. Last season, the two teams played three times. Those three games were decided by a collective seven points. This game will certainly be a learning opportunity and a chance for the Storm to look at themselves in the mirror.
Seattle will not have a lot of time to reflect, as their next game is on Sunday, June 5th as they welcome the Connecticut Sun to town. The Sun boast an 8-3 record to this point in the season, and while Jonquel Jones has not played up to her MVP level, Alyssa Thomas has picked up the slack. A rebound opportunity for the Storm, but a difficult test at that. Tipoff is at 3PM PST.
Los Angeles, CA – With .08 left on the clock the Los Angeles Sparks foul Arike Ogunbowale #24 when she drove hard to the basket and crashed into Liz Cabage #1. They say pressure break a pipe but after Ogunbowale first free throw attempt bounce around on the rim and fell out the Sparks 2-point lead appeared to be safe. She then tried to get a lane violation on the second shot which resulted in penalty on Ogunbowale the shooter. No one was ready for what happen next, Ogunbowale kicked and broken something on the scorer’s table in frustration.
The last thing the Sparks did was toss the ball up high to Cambage to allow clock to hit zero and secure a 93-91 dog fight victory of the Wings at Cryto.com Arena.
Who knows if those last two free throws drop in and they play overtime. The Wings comeback was led by the ‘Ballerina’ Isabelle Harrison who dropped a team high 20 points along with 8 rebounds. It was like watching the female version of Tim Duncan just so smooth going to work effortlessly.
Good thing for the Sparks Brittney Sykes off the bench inspired her team with 25 points and 6 assists in only 26 minutes of play. Four other players scored in double figures Cambage with 19 points, Nneka Ogwumike 16 points 10 rebounds, and Katie Lou Samuelson with 13 points.
Chennedy Carter getting the start in place of Jordin Canada who did not play due to strained left hamstring. Carter played defense on Marina Mabrey and Ogunbowale to atleast slow them down.
Nneka Ogwumike
The Sparks held a 12-point lead at half that evaporated by the Wings due to 2nd chances points and crashing the boards hard. Before the Sparks could look up the Wings held their largest lead of the game up by three points.
Despite allowing the Wings to have five players in double figures, it was their defense down the stretch getting key stops that allowed the Sparks to regain the lead and secure the victory.
Dallas really didn’t have an answer for Cambage in the paint, especially after Teaira McCowan got into foul trouble early and was the only starter not to finish with double digits points.
“Going through the adversity of the start of the season and having to ask the hard questions right from the start, to me, that will help us over time,” said coach Fisher
Coach Fisher Sparks are forming before our eyes as a team, with anybody number being called. If they can continue to step up who knows what they will look like coming down the stretch when home games will be flooding the schedule.
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Storm would win their fourth game in a row, this time doing so in blowout fashion. Unlike their previous three victories, Seattle did not have to take the game down to the wire. The Storm would shoot 49% from the field, 54% from beyond the arch, and 100% from the free throw line. Seattle has done that three times in franchise history, the last time it happened? Against the New York Liberty last year.
Jewell Loyd and Jantel Lavender lead the charge for the Storm offense, as Loyd dropped 22 points (nine coming in the fourth quarter), and Lavender recorded a double-double, the 25th of her career. Loyd is a leader on this offense, part of the Seattle big three, and coming off of a career year in 2021. Seeing her offensive numbers is no surprise, but getting the production of a double-double out of Lavender was critical for the Storm. Going up against Natasha Howard and Stefanie Dolson is tough, but Lavender put in the work and helped Seattle romp to a win.Veteran guard Briann January would speak on the teams offensive approach.
“For us it’s executing and continuing to get good shots. We have faith that everyone on this team can get good shots, we’re putting everyone in position to be successful, eventually it’s gonna happen. One thing that we continue to talk about is that our defense will carry us, and eventually our shots will drop,” January stated.
It simply cannot be overstated enough, but the Storm have a buzzsaw defense. Over their four game winning streak, the Storm lead the league in steals, and sit at third in +/-. While it isn’t as prominent due to the offense looking to gain footing, the Seattle defensive effort should be noted. If the Storm can keep this level or play up, we may see a deep playoff run inside the walls of Climate Pledge Arena. Breanna Stewart have a defensive presence in their own right, but names such as Ezi Magbegor, Briann January, Gabby Williams, and Steph Talbot have chipped in significantly. Head coach Noelle Quinn reflected on the defensive effort.
“I thought we were more locked in defensively… we got contributions from everyone, overall just a good team effort. The defense will continue to sustain us, helping the game work in our favor. Our communication was big, we want to continue to be a good defensive team, that’s what they do: talk through it,” Quinn remarked.
The Storm continue their historically long home-stand on June 3rd, as they welcome the Dallas Wings to town. Dallas and Seattle will tip off at 7PM PST, as sharpshooting guards Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey come to town.
Jewell Loyd is all smiles as the team huddles up after a timeout. (Neil Enns/Seattle Storm)
Seattle, WA – For the fourth straight game, the Seattle Storm battled down to the wire on home court. For the third straight time, they would win narrowly, defeating the New York Liberty 79-71 in overtime. Without two starters and a key bench player due to “Health and Safety protocols,” the Storm were able to use a next women up mentality to grind out a third straight victory.
The Storm defense has been the main story of their seasons, showing up in nearly every game as the offense searches for their rhythm. Notably, the additions of Gabby Williams and Brian January have seemingly filled the hole left by defensive stopper Alysha Clark when she departed in 2021. Williams had six steals, while New York totaled five as a team. Seattle held New York to a shooting percentage of 33.8% from the field, and 28% from beyond the arch. Guard Jewell Loyd spoke about the defense from Williams, and the team as a whole.
“Gabby is so athletic; she hasn’t even reached her potential yet. Her ability, and our ability, to switch a lot on defense… she gets her hand on so many balls, rebounding. That’s just our versatility defensively, we are very long as a team,” Loyd would reflect.
Two members of Seattle big three “put the team on their back,” as Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart poured in 52 of the Storm’s 79 points. With some key members of the team out and Seattle still having not found their offensive rhythm, Loyd and Stewart stepped
up.. Stewart notably attacked the rim all night long, getting to the free throw line often. Stewart attempted 18 free throws, converting 15 shots from the charity stripe. Those 15 made free throws is now tied for the most in a game in Storm history, and also was critical for Seattle in overtime. Several key Liberty players would foul out, including former Storm players Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb. Stewart would remark on her attacking mindset postgame
“We wanted to be aggressive, we wanted to attack and really put pressure on the rim. Whether that was in the half court set or in tranisition. We know that they would switch a lot on me, that they would be in more of a drop coverage, and it just gave us free range to attack and get whatever we want,” Stewart would state.
Seattle has a historic home-stand, tied for the longest in WNBA history, 8 games. They are currently 3-1 during the current time at home, a solid start all things considered. The Storm played with only eight members on the roster, with the news of Sue Bird and Ezi Magbegor being placed on the “Health and Safety Protocols” list just hours before tip off. While the rest of this historic home-stand doesn’t get any easier, it seems like Seattle may have found some footing. One can only imagine what this Storm team will look like when it’s fully healthy.
The Storm’s next contest comes on Sunday, May 29th against this same New York Liberty team. Tip-off is at 3PM PST, and it is currently unclear if Seattle will be able to get Bird, Magbegor, or Steph Talbot back from Health and Safety Protocols
LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles Sparks are a gritty and resilient bunch. Eight of their first ten games are away from their beds, routines, and families. Yet, they forge forward in shaping their identity as a team and learning the nuances and strengths of one another, with minimal practice time as games count and wins and losses are amassed.
In their second game with their home crowd, 4,020 dedicated fans tensely watched the Sparks hold on to a 99-94 win over the Phoenix Mercury for their first home victory.
“I said this right after the game, ‘That home energy is different,'” Lexie Brown stated.
The home energy kept Los Angeles afloat over the remaining 3:11 in the game after Nneka Ogwumike scored the Sparks’ final field goal. Phoenix went on an 11-2 run down the stretch and fought to snatch the victory from Los Angeles, but the Sparks’ time on the road, on planes, in hotels, and on buses paid off.
Amidst the defensive mishaps and offensive blunders is a team that is committed to playing defense and taking the open shot. They know the potential within.
“We have full confidence in everybody who shoots the ball. We get mad when people pass up shots because that’s the right shot,” Brittany Sykes said.
The Sparks saw Katie Lou Samuelson break out of a shooting slump and set a WNBA career-high with 17 points as she went 4-for-5 from three. Samuelson and fellow sniper in Brown, who went 2-for-2 from deep en route to 10 points, provided Ogwumike and Liz Cambage the space to do damage on the interior. Against Phoenix, Ogwumike led Los Angeles with 23 points as Cambage chipped in 21.
By adding eight new players to their roster, the Sparks know they must endure growing pains building team cohesion.
“It’s going to be really exciting to see what we look like a month from now,” Brown stated. “Then all of July people should be scared to come here in July. We are going to be here rested, chilling, practicing — next month we are going to see some really good leaps. But July is going to be scary.”
The Sparks have the guile; they only need to jell. Unfortunately for the rest of the league, scary moments are ahead.
