Sparks slip up with two seconds left as winless Lynx team spoils their home opener

Newly employed Sparks President Vanessa Shay, lower than two days into her tenure with the crew, stated earlier than their dwelling opener that the crowded L.A. market had forgotten concerning the Sparks.

Followers received an exhilarating reminder Tuesday evening, however the consequence left a primary impression the crew may need them to neglect because the Sparks misplaced 87-84 to the Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Enviornment.

The brand new-look Sparks turned to an previous star, leaning on 11-year veteran Nneka Ogwumike for a team-high 22 factors with eight rebounds, however they let Minnesota’s Kayla McBride slip behind the protection and rating on a reverse layup with 2.1 seconds that put the beforehand winless Lynx forward.

The defensive lapse was the symptom of a newly assembled crew, guard Lexie Brown stated. As was the Sparks’ damaged final possession, when, down three, they threw the ball inside to Liz Cambage, who fumbled the move. The ball dribbled out to the nook, the place Jordin Canada launched a contested three on the buzzer. The 4,701 followers fell silent because the shot missed.

Coach Derek Fisher stated Cambage, had she caught the ball cleanly, was meant to move it to Brown to shoot. Brown, who tied a season-high with 12 factors and 4 made three-pointers stated she “couldn’t even let you know to be sincere with you” what the play was.

Ogwumike stated the shut loss, the crew’s second single-possession loss of their now three-game dropping streak, felt like rising pains, particularly because the crew made its much-anticipated dwelling debut.

“We had been actually fiending to get this one,” Ogwumike stated. “L.A. confirmed out, as standard. I do know they’ll proceed to, regardless of tonight’s consequence. … However you recognize, after you may have rising pains, you’re taller. So I’m trying ahead to seeing how this works out.”

Tuesday’s recreation was the primary true dwelling crowd for the Sparks since 2019 because the pandemic consumed the final two seasons. The crew that led the WNBA in attendance for 3 consecutive seasons earlier than COVID-19 upended every thing didn’t host a crowd bigger than 5,000 final 12 months. The Sparks’ attendance was the bottom within the league, partially as a result of they performed 11 of 16 dwelling video games within the Los Angeles Conference Middle, which didn’t maintain greater than 1,000 folks for video games. Coach Derek Fisher and gamers expressed pleasure concerning the crew’s return to Crypto.com Enviornment.

However with pandemic restrictions lifted, the Sparks’ passionate followers stuffed solely about half of the sector’s decrease bowl Tuesday. Attendance at WNBA video games has lagged lately, even earlier than the pandemic. The struggle to get followers again in seats is a wrestle all groups share, Fisher famous earlier than the sport. The Sparks, who missed the playoffs for the primary time since 2011 final season, embrace the problem to win again their followers.

“No matter it takes to get extra folks to return again out, that’s the field that we have to examine,” Fisher stated earlier than the sport. “More often than not meaning profitable, and within the metropolis of Los Angeles it at all times implies that.”

Coming off a blowout loss to championship favourite Connecticut through which the Solar outrebounded them 45-21, the Sparks once more received overpowered on the boards. Regardless of 6-foot-8 Cambage and Ogwumike anchoring the Sparks protection, Minnesota (1-4) had a 40-26 rebounding benefit. Cambage had seven rebounds with 12 factors, battling with Minnesota middle Sylvia Fowles, the 36-year-old enjoying in her ultimate WNBA season. Fowles had 20 factors and 12 rebounds. Cambage hit a game-tying shot with 15 seconds remaining and had an opportunity to push the Sparks forward however missed a free throw.

5 video games into the season, the Sparks (2-3) are removed from a completed product. Solely three of their gamers performed vital minutes for the crew final 12 months. They nonetheless are lacking Kristi Toliver, a two-time WNBA champion who can be an assistant coach on the NBA’s Western Convention finals-bound Dallas Mavericks.

However the expertise Fisher assembled over the summer season has the eye of the WNBA. Gamers consider in his imaginative and prescient for a defensively sound crew that depends on a free-flowing offense.

“We’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine one another out, however I feel what’s going to be our id is the Sparks have at all times been a prime defensive crew and we’re nonetheless going to have that id,” Canada stated earlier than the sport. “And simply including a component of gamers that may create for others and we’re so versatile. I feel that’s what’s actually particular about this crew.”