The Sparks put on a late rally but came up short, losing 84-83 to the Dallas Wings.
With 3:58 left in regulation, forward Dearica Hamby took a feed from guard Lexie Brown to put the Sparks ahead 78-76.
Holding the narrow lead proved difficult as a free throw from forward Maddy Siegrist and a bucket from forward Monique Billings gave Dallas the lead back.
At halftime, Sparks rookie Cameron Brink leads all scorers with 15 points against the Dallas Wings
— Amanda Scurlock (@Amandtastic) May 27, 2024
The Sparks suffered through a three-minute offensive drought, but a three-pointer by guard Lexie Brown with 1.1 seconds left brought Los Angeles within one.
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Sparks rookie Cameron Brink led all scorers with 21 points and forward Dearica Hamby made 13 rebounds along with 19 points. Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points and forward Monique Billings made 12 rebounds.
“I just took the shots that were open,” Brink said. “Obviously it didn’t end the way that we wanted to, so it doesn’t feel great but it’s just motivation for the next one.”
Sparks head coach Curt Miller noted how the squad put forth a better effort in the second half.
“We just kept preaching that we got to keep running at them,” Miller said. “We know how hard it is to win in this league and thought that was one with a lot of tough nights in the paint percentage-wise that we left one out there for us.”
Four Sparks players scored in the double digits with Hamby making her fourth double-double of the season and Brown contributing 12 points.
In honor of HBCU Night, members of the divine fraternities and sororities performed during half time at the Sparks vs Wings game. pic.twitter.com/z9VM62Nt1M
— Amanda Scurlock (@Amandtastic) May 27, 2024
Rookie Cameron Brink carried the Sparks throughout the first quarter, scoring 12 points in the phase. As Ogunbowale struggled to score, forward Maddy Siegrist made plays.
After ending the first quarter with a tie, the Wings came out with a 9-2 run. Sparks guard Layshia Clarendon suffered a concussion and left the game early. As the starters struggled, bench players like guards Aari McDonald and Zia Cooke stepped up.
“It’s been rough for me. I just been learning but just staying confident, keep working on my game, keep growing, keep asking questions,” McDonald said. “I think that helped me.”
McDonald ended the night with nine points and three rebounds.
“[McDonald] really sparked us with her ball pressure and was able to get our running program going,” Miller said.
With Clarendon out, guard Lexie Brown had to play as point guard. This is a position Brown is not used to playing according to Miller.
As Brink got into foul trouble, center Li Yueru came in to ultimately score 10 points and nine rebounds.
“Love [Yueru’s] ability to match up with their size and physicality. I love that she was hunting offense,” Miller said. “She made some big plays for us around the rim in the second half.”
The Sparks now have a 1-3 overall record, they will leave Los Angeles to battle the Indiana Fever on May 28 at 4:00P.M.
