Brittney Sykes, Sparks end season with blowout loss to Dallas

LOS ANGELES — The Sparks (13-23) ended their disappointing season with a 116-88 blowout loss in opposition to the Dallas Wings (18-18) on Sunday at Crypto.com Enviornment.

Sparks guard Brittney Sykes completed with a career-high 35 factors in 36 minutes. Sykes scored 11 of her 14 first-half factors within the first quarter. The Sparks had been solely down 25-20 after the primary quarter.

Nonetheless, the Sparks trailed 66-29 at halftime, as Dallas went on a blistering 41-9 run within the second quarter.

Dallas shot 74.2% from the sector and 63.6% from 3 within the first half, as reserve guard Ty Harris had 16 factors and 7 assists within the first half. Harris completed with 18 factors and career-high 11 assists in 21 minutes.

The Sparks trailed 92-56 on the finish of the third quarter. Regardless of the large loss and being down by as many as 40 factors within the season finale, Williams stated his workforce by no means gave up.

“The actual win and the grace of all of it is seeing this workforce prosper by way of a season, a journey,” stated Sparks interim head coach Fred Williams in a pregame interview.

The Sparks misplaced 9 of their final ten video games and had been eradicated from playoff rivalry on Thursday after a 93-69 loss to the Connecticut Solar. This marks the second time the Sparks have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons within the workforce’s 26-year historical past.

The Sparks had been as excessive as sixth within the standings with a month to go within the common season however they misplaced eight of their last 9 video games with out Liz Cambage, who agreed to a contract divorce with the group on July 26.

In the meantime, attributable to accidents, forwards Chiney (face) and Nneka Ogwumike (ankle) didn’t play in opposition to Dallas, together with guard Kristi Toliver (calf) and rookie ahead Rae Burrell (knee), leaving the Sparks with an eight-person rotation and solely three gamers taller than 6-foot.

In opposition to Dallas, Williams stated a key to victory can be slowing down 6-foot-7 heart Teaira McCowan, who was capturing a career-high 59.6% from the sector earlier than Sunday’s sport. McCowan completed with a team-high 24 factors and eight rebounds. She shot 69.2% from the sector.

Dallas guard Marina Mabrey, who was a 2019 second-round draft choose by the Sparks had a team-high 27 factors.

Sparks guard Chennedy Carter completed with 13 factors. Rookie guard Kianna Smith had 10 factors.

“You may solely management the controllable,” Williams continued when requested about classes realized in the course of the Sparks’ tumultuous season. “Conditions occurred all through the entire season. We stayed collectively by educating gamers every day with troublesome conditions by way of accidents and journey. For me, it’s been extra about studying what I do know of this workforce, what I like of this workforce, what I belief of this workforce and the belief issue is that we made it by way of this journey.”

Williams completed 8-16 this season as interim head coach after the workforce parted methods with then basic supervisor/head coach Derek Fisher, who was 5-7, on the time of his dismissal.