When Candace Parker was on the court docket, the Sparks had been dominant. On the afternoon her jersey was retired, they’d an opportunity to channel that vitality — however the Sparks had been something however overpowering.
In a matchup between the 2 franchises Parker led to WNBA titles — the Sparks and Chicago Sky — her hometown crew performed spoiler, incomes a 92-85 victory at Crypto.com Enviornment.
Angel Reese, the self-proclaimed queen of “Mebounds,” proved an excessive amount of for L.A. to deal with — for the second time in 5 days.
Reese completed with 16 rebounds, together with 4 on the offensive glass. Her impression prolonged past the boards, with Reese including 24 factors and 7 assists.
Coming into the sport, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts praised Reese as “elite,” underscoring her excessive motor and physicality, including that the Sparks would have to be the aggressors to sluggish her down.
However they had been out-hustled and out-muscled down the ultimate stretch of the sport.
“We just got to be tougher,” Roberts mentioned. “Sustain runs, handle adversity, performance issues, bad calls — whatever.”
For the Sparks, it was a must-win sport — not solely to construct on their latest 85–75 win over the Indiana Fever, but additionally to keep away from spoiling Parker’s retirement celebration.
“We would have loved [to have won],” Roberts added. “I think we all wanted that win for her, so it’s disappointing — it’s kind of extra disappointing.”
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) attracts a foul whereas driving in entrance of Chicago Sky ahead Angel Reese Sunday at Crytpo.com Enviornment.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
Whereas the Sparks (5-12) struggled towards Reese for a lot of the sport, ahead Emma Cannon gave L.A. a surge off the bench. Undersized Cannon made life troublesome for Reese throughout key stretches, drawing a technical foul throughout a tense third-quarter trade within the submit.
Cannon’s second-half efficiency briefly turned the tide. With the Sparks trailing by 12 — their largest deficit of the sport — Cannon helped gasoline a 24–5 run that put L.A. forward 60–53. She completed with a season-high 15 factors in 4 minutes.
However the Sky didn’t go away. By the tip of the third, the Sparks led simply 62–61 — and within the fourth, Chicago closed sturdy. Behind Reese, the Sky ballooned the lead again to double digits — 82–72 — an excessive amount of for the Sparks to beat.
“We have to learn how to finish games, and it’s not necessarily what the other team does,” Cannon mentioned. “It’s just about us actually digging in and buying in and finishing it.”
A rally within the remaining minutes, led by Kelsey Plum, Azurá Stevens and Dearica Hamby, fell brief.
Plum (22 factors), Stevens (17 factors) and Hamby (20 factors) accounted for the majority of the Sparks’ offense, combining for 59 of the crew’s 85 factors.
“It’s a choice when you’re hit with adversity or you lose, when you don’t perform the way you want to,” Roberts mentioned on studying classes from losses. “It’s a choice as to how you approach it, and there is no magic formula.”
Parker honored
The sport was a tribute to Parker. On the area entrance, followers had been greeted by a purple and gold floral association formed just like the No. 3. Video messages from Lakers legends, together with Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper, performed all through the festivities.
Earlier than Parker obtained a thunderous ovation as her No. 3 jersey was revealed within the rafters, she addressed the followers.
“They say athletes have two deaths — one being when your career ends — but I look at it as two lives,” Parker mentioned throughout her halftime speech. “It’s never easy to put the ball down and move from your first love. That’s something I learned throughout my career here through basketball, and I’m going to carry it into the next phase of life.”
Former Sparks star Candace Parker waves whereas standing beside her household throughout her jersey retirement ceremony Sunday at Crypto.com Enviornment.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
Earlier than the sport, she additionally mirrored on the full-circle second — standing in the identical area the place she received her first WNBA championship, fittingly towards her hometown crew, the Chicago Sky. She received a title with the Sky in 2021 and can see her jersey retired by the franchise this August.
“Seeing the No. 3 in the rafters where I first picked up the ball, and where is home now, is incredible,” Parker mentioned. “It’s about dreams and opportunity. … So I hope that that inspires those little girls out there.”
Her jersey is simply the third retired in Sparks historical past, becoming a member of former teammate Leslie’s No. 9 and longtime normal supervisor Penny Toler’s No. 11.
“When it was time for me to say goodbye, I knew when I handed the keys to Candace Parker,” mentioned Leslie, who launched Parker throughout the halftime jersey retirement ceremony. “She not only took the key to the building — but she ran with it.”
