Sports
Once again, Sparks can't hang on to early lead as they lose to Mercury
If you’ve watched the Sparks this season, their home finale went about exactly as you might have expected.
The Sparks got off to a hot start, building an advantage on the boards that led to a noticeable 12-2 margin in second-chance points as they took an eight-point lead into halftime. Then, an absolutely horrid third-quarter stretch snowballed as the Phoenix Mercury came roaring back to defeat the Sparks 85-81, handing them their eighth consecutive loss, tying a franchise record to close out their home schedule.
“It was that snowball effect again that we’ve talked about,” Sparks head coach Curt Miller said. “The offensive inefficiency, the offensive turnovers, a tough shooting night snowballed to where we lost some of our defensive focus and defensive intensity.”
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Sparks opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run to take control of the game thanks in large part to strong performances off the bench from Li Yueru and Zia Cooke, whose nine points each tied Dearica Hamby for the team lead at the half. Rickea Jackson was starting to find her groove in the second half as well, getting to the line and shooting a perfect four for four on her free throws.
“I’m really appreciative of my coaching staff and all my teammates. They try to help me every game and every practice,” said Yueru, who had her first career double-double with career highs in both points (19) and rebounds (12). “I feel I really grew up.”
The Sparks were in full control of the game, with Brittney Griner the only Mercury player with more than five points (14) in the first half. But the mood shifted in the final seconds before halftime when Griner threw an elbow at Jackson, who took exception. They got in each other’s faces and exchanged shoves. After a lengthy official review, double technical fouls were handed out and Jackson and Griner were ejected from the game.
Almost as if on cue, things began to unravel for the Sparks once the second half was underway. The Mercury got off to a quick 10-2 run of their own to erase the Sparks lead, and finished the quarter on a 9-4 run to push it to double digits. In Griner’s absence, it was 20-year veteran Diana Taurasi (13 points, three rebounds, five assists), Sophie Cunningham (14 points, three rebounds, two assists), and Natasha Cloud (13 points, 12 assists) who stepped up to lead the Mercury.
“To Phoenix’s credit, they made it ugly,” Miller said. “They played a lot of zone, they scrambled around and pressed without BG. I thought we were on our heels immediately in the third quarter, got a little tentative against the zone. I didn’t think that first unit shared the ball particularly well.”
Miller in his postgame comments praised Taurasi as one of the greatest to ever play the game, referring to her as one of the torch-bearers of the WNBA.
“I don’t know if that truly is Diana’s last regular season road game, but she has meant so much to this league,” he said. “She continues to play at an extremely high level. … The GOAT gets tossed around a lot in sports these days, but truly one of the best to ever do it. And the longevity that she’s done it at is truly remarkable.”
Meanwhile, nothing went the Sparks’ way in the third quarter. They had eight turnovers, which matched their total in the first half. In total, they gave up 31 points off 20 turnovers, as both the ball and the game continued to slip away.
After the final buzzer sounded, sealing the defeat and an abysmal 5-15 home record this season, Azura Stevens took a minute to address the crowd at Crypto.com Arena.
“I can promise you that each and every one of us will be in the gym this offseason and we’re going to get better,” Stevens said. “Mark my words, next year is going to be different.”
Sports
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese downplay heated moment after flagrant foul in Fever's season-opening rout
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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark began her 2025 WNBA season with a triple-double in her team’s 93-58 rout of the Chicago Sky Saturday.
During the game, Clark was called for a flagrant foul after a hard foul on her rival, Angel Reese.
The star Sky center was angry with the foul by Clark and went after her in a heated exchange broken up by Sky and Fever players. Clark walked away and never once looked at Reese as Reese continued to walk toward her.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) fouls Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowsk/Imagn Images)
While it appeared tense on the court, Clark and Reese said the foul wasn’t as bad as it seemed after the game.
“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” Clark said after dropping 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. “It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion.
“It’s a take foul to put them at the free throw line. I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life. That’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.”
ANGEL REESE, CAITLIN CLARK HAVE HEATED EXCHANGE AFTER HARD FOUL DURING SKY-FEVER GAME
During the play, Reese got an offensive rebound, and Clark appeared to motion toward the referee that the Sky center pushed off a fellow Fever player. Clark then fouled Reese intentionally, hugging her to prevent an easy layup.
The ESPN broadcast debated whether Clark pushed Reese slightly with her left arm after committing the foul, which might have led to Reese’s angry reaction.
Without elaborating, Reese called it a “basketball play” from Clark, a term both players have used in the past.
Reese struggled shooting in her season debut, scoring 12 points on 5 of 14 from the field, while grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds.
It was a brief moment, but considering the history between Clark and Reese, it’s another chapter in a rivalry that goes back to their college days. The Fever and Sky are now rivals because of the history between Clark and Reese.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) passes around Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky, 93-58. (Imagn)
Last season, the Fever took three of their four matchups, which included several hard fouls that led to national debate.
Stephanie White, who got her first win as head coach of the Fever, also commented on Clark’s foul.
“Nobody’s going to get anything easy against us,” White said. “We’re going to be a tough defensive team. I thought it was a clear play on the ball as well.”
“The foul on Clark met the criteria for flagrant foul 1, for wind up, impact and follow-through for the extension of the left hand to Reese’s back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and therefore deemed unnecessary contact,” crew chief Roy Gulbeyan said of Clark.
“After the foul, there is a physical taunt technical on Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset.”
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) Saturday, May 17, 2025, during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMAGN)
The sold-out crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse cheered as Reese missed the first of her two free throws before Chicago retained the ball after the technical foul.
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SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
FINALS
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 3
Tesoro d. Orange Lutheran, 25-16, 25-16, 27-25
DIVISION 5
Kennedy d. Esperanza, 23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24
DIVISION 9
CAMS d. Downey Calvary Chapel, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19
DIVISION 6
El Toro d. Quartz Hill, 17-25, 28-26, 25-21, 25-19
At Santa Barbara
DIVISION 4
Sage Hill d. Santa Barbara, 15-25, 25-13, 18-25, 25-20, 15-8
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
FINALS
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa d. Huntington Beach, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 29-31, 15-11
At Mater Dei
DIVISION 2
Mater Dei d. Peninsula, 20-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-19
At Crossroads
DIVISION 8
Wildwood d. Katella, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
FINALS
DIVISION 7
San Gabriel Academy d. Brea Olinda, 3-2
Actor Timothée Chalamet, right, and Bad Bunny, left, watch during the second half of Game 6 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics on Friday, May 16, 2025, in New York.
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