In a rare road back-to-back, the shorthanded Sparks — still without Kelsey Plum — battled throughout most of the first three quarters before running out of gas in the fourth, falling to the worst team in the league in the Connecticut Sun, 84-81.
Baskets from Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby gave the Sparks an early lead. The Sun responded with a 15-4 run to open up a seven-point advantage.
A pair of freebies and a three from Nneka Ogwumike before a Ta’Niya Latson long-range make pushed LA back ahead at 16-15.
Connecticut scored the next five points after a timeout before a driving Hamby layup made it a two-point deficit for the Sparks after one.
The second period saw the teams trading baskets. A hook shot from Brittney Griner and a free throw from Saniya Rivers increased the Sun’s advantage back to five nearly four minutes into the frame. LA responded with a 13-2 run that included a pair of baskets from Erica Wheeler and was capped off with back-to-back threes from Ariel Atkins, forcing another Sun timeout with LA up 33-27.
Griner helped get the Sun back in the game, tying the game at 33 after another layup. Gianna Kneepkens’ 3-pointer beat the first-half buzzer and sent the hosts into the locker rooms up by three.
While Burrell got the first basket of the second half, the Sun were the team with momentum as they built up a 48-41 lead following a three from Diamond Miller. Threes from Chance Gray and Rae Burrell tied the game and Hamby, who was fouled during Burrell’s shot attempt, gave LA the lead at 54-53 just past the midway point of the period.
The rest of the period saw the teams trade baskets as fiesty play led to multiple reviews in the frame. In the end, Connecticut maintained a narrow advantage, leading 62-60 going into the fourth.
The Sun added a bit of separation to open the fourth, leading by five after a Leila Lacan basket. The game started to slip away from the Sparks as Connecticut began creating more second chances and winning the hustle plays.
It was one of those second chances that led to an and-one from Miller, putting the Sun up nine. A backdoor cut on the baseline from Miller and a handful of possessions later forced an LA timeout as, on the second night of a back-to-back, the Sparks looked to be out of gas.
And yet, out of that break, the Sparks used layups from Wheeler, Ogwumike and free throws from Atkins to pull within three. A steal from Atkins looked to set up LA for a fastbreak chance, but a poor outlet pass was taken the other way for a Sun basket with just over two minutes remaining.
That calmed things down for the Sun, who kept finding responses to Sparks scores in the final minutes. With just under a minute left and the Sparks down five, Burrell buried a wing three to make it a one-possession game.
They got the stop they needed on the other end and Hamby got to the rim for an open look, but her shot to tie the game rolled off the rim. Connecticut converted a pair of free throws and Atkins airballed a three on the other end to seal the result.
Key Player Stats
Burrell had one of her best showings of the season with 16 points and five rebounds. Atkins also had a strong outing with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals.
After 20 points in Friday’s win over the Mystics, Ogwumike had a quieter night on Saturday with 12 points, though many of those came in the fourth. Hamby had 11 points and seven rebounds. Erica Wheeler chipped in 13 points and six assists.
The Sparks will be back in action back in LA on Tuesday when they host the Aces. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
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