Los Angeles, CA – Ája Wilson wasted no time with her All Star afterglow attacking the Sparks frontcourt that included spoiling Sparks sophomore Cameron Brinks’s return and going off in the first quarter for 17 of her 34 points, while her teammate Jackie Young recorded her first career triple double to help avenge their team’s earlier season home loss to the Sparks in a dominant fashion, 89 – 74 win on Tuesday night at Crypto arena, snapping the league’s current hottest team five game winning streak.
“When you’re talking about just the way our schemes are just flowing and the way that we just can get this spark with also having Jewell [Lloyd] come in off our bench,” Ája Wilson said. “It just seems like it’s just a healthy balance for us.”
Sparks fell down early in the game after the starters struggled to score and defend, 18-5.
Brink entered the game a little under three minutes in the first quarter after missing most of last season and half of this season due to a torned ACL. Brink amassed five points in less than 15 minutes and a monstrous block from behind on Aces’ NaLyssa Smith.
“I thought she did a good job to be honest, she was more comfortable out there than I anticipated her to be, just because [of] how long she’s been out, and coming in mid-season’s hard,” Coach Lynne Roberts said. “She loves basketball, so she’s finally getting a chance to be out there, and be with her teammates that she’s been watching for 13 months, and I think that’s her happy place.”
Going up on a Tuesday the Aces shot over 60 percent in the first quarter behind Wilson perfect shooting percentage, hitting her first ten shots which consisted of one triple, mid range fadeaway jumpers plus simple aggressive, drop step layups to put her team up, 48-34 at the half.
“[Ája Wilson] was phenomenal tonight. She was on one, and… she had an intensity to her, and [she was] determined to score,“ Coach Roberts said. “We’ve got to be better on her, and she had a heck of a game, so hats off to her. She’s a talent, and everybody in this room and elsewhere knows that. We did not do a great job on her tonight.”
Dearica Hamby, who was named Western Conference player of the week scored the first basket in the third though she had a somewhat tough night on both ends, scoring below her average for 15 points. Her former Aces teammate and current Sparks teammate, Kelsey Plum, scored 22 points, mostly in the second half despite being ice cold from the three, missing all six attempts.
Rae Burrell came off the bench, providing high energy with a triple almost midway through the third, making the score 55-40.
“I feel like the team did a good job in just preparing me for coming back,” Burrell said. “I just try to bring the same thing every night. I try to bring in some energy, whatever the team needs me to bring and whether that’s getting offensive rebounds, being aggressive on offense, defense, just whatever the team needs me to do…”
Burrell knocked down her second triple in the fourth en route to a season high of 17. Sparks cut the deficit down but not enough to get over the double digits hump with the score, 83-66, Aces advantage.
“You always need to work hard, no matter the score, and I’m always trying to bring that energy,” Rae Burrell said. “I think it’s—just playing through the clock, through the buzzer, just [playing] hard til the game’s over.”
Dana Evans came off the bench for the Aces and was the only other player in double figures for her team with 10 points besides Young and Wilson. For the second straight game, Lloyd came off the bench, dropping a deep dagger to clinch any hope of a Sparks comeback, 86-66.
“These last couple games, we’ve looked more like what I’ve expected us to look like,” coach Becky Hammon said. “It’s taken longer than what I thought it would. However, I’m happy that it’s arriving.”
The Sparks heads Northwest for a matchup against the Seattle Storm on August 1st at 7 p.m., PT. Then Los Angeles returns to Crypto.com Arena for back to back games to face the Indiana Fever August 5th at 7 p.m. and Connecticut Sun August 7 at 7p.m., respectively.
