LOS ANGELES — Facing one of the WNBA’s best teams in the first game after the Olympic break was not a recipe for the struggling Sparks to begin building momentum.
The Sparks trailed by 19 after one quarter and by as many as 40 points in the second half on their way to a 103-68 blowout loss to the New York Liberty on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
It was the Sparks’ largest losing margin of the season and their second-lowest point total through the first 25 games.
Rae Burrell led the Sparks (6-19) with a team-high 15 points off the bench, going 12 of 13 from the free-throw line. Dearica Hamby had 14 points and 13 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the season, and rookie forward Rickea Jackson had 14 points. Kia Nurse added 10 points.
With nine active players, the Sparks faced unintended consequences and opportunities against the Liberty. During his pregame interview, Sparks coach Curt Miller said he was exhausted by delivering a message about always being an injury-plagued team. However, he’s still optimistic about the team’s future following the league’s monthlong Olympic hiatus.
“That opens the door for Rae Burrell to have a good stretch here,” Miller said before the game. “It opens the door for Zia Cooke to get more consistent minutes. It gives some people opportunities to maybe play through a mistake or two. Those things are all good for us.”
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty (22-4) with 27 points in 20 minutes, shooting 10 for 15 from the field (3 for 4 from 3-point range). Sabrina Ionescu had 18 points and six assists and Kayla Thornton added 16. Stewart and Ionescu combined to score 26 points in the first half, while the Sparks had just 28.
The Liberty began the game on a 10-0 run, sparked by five early points from All-Star Jonquel Jones. The Sparks missed their first four shots from the field and things the game got out of hand in a hurry. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Thornton put the Liberty up 29-10 at the end of the first quarter.
The Liberty began the second quarter on a 9-0 run and extended their lead to 38-10 with eight minutes left in the first half. The Sparks only made 10 of 26 shots from the field (38.5%) in the first half, including an 0-for-5 effort from 3-point range, and trailed 57-28 at halftime. They also had 14 turnovers on nine steals by the Liberty in the first 20 minutes. The Liberty shot 22 for 37 (59.5%) in the first half, including 6 for 12 from behind the arc.
Stewart made a 3-pointer on three straight possessions and Thornton followed with a 3-pointer to make it 80-40 with 2:18 left in the third quarter, and the Liberty led 82-48 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Liberty were only down one starter, All-Star guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who is traveling with the team and is in the later stages of a 4-6-week recovery timeline from knee surgery.
“We have 11 healthy players so we’ll utilize that,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said before the game.
The Liberty won by at least 35 points for the third time this season, setting a WNBA record. New York also led by 20-plus points at halftime for the third time, while the rest of the WNBA has only accomplished the feat three times this season.
SUPPORT FOR HAMBY
Miller said he’s supporting three-time All-Star and Olympic bronze medalist Hamby after she sued the WNBA and her former Las Vegas Aces team in federal court this week regarding her treatment by the Aces while she was pregnant before being traded to the Sparks in January 2023.
“From the moment we acquired Dearica, the relationship was built around support and that I believe in her, was excited to coach her and now that I’m a year and a half into coaching her, she’s a remarkable human,” Miller shared. “She’s a tremendous teammate. I know what I’m going to get, even though she’s been battling her own injuries all year, which is rare for her. She knows that I have her back and that I really really support her and will continue to support her in the latest journey that she’s going through.”
The Sparks next host All-Star rookie forward Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky (10-15) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.
Sparks coach Curt Miller talks about facing the first-place Liberty with nine active players. Miller also voiced his support for Dearica Hamby after she filed a federal lawsuit against the WNBA and her former Las Vegas Aces team earlier this week. pic.twitter.com/8L3RmKSSQ7
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) August 16, 2024
New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello on playing all 11 healthy players after the Olympic break and an update on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. pic.twitter.com/9YfS5hu2TU
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) August 15, 2024
Originally Published: