PHOENIX -- The Sparks might have some third quarter woes.
For the second game in a row, Los Angeles got off to a bad start after halftime. An 11-0 run by the Phoenix Mercury helped them get to a double-digit lead. The Sparks fought back but ultimately fell short, 89-86.
The Sparks did not have Rickea Jackson in addition to Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink. They did get better help from bench players like Emma Cannon and Liatu King. In the end, it wasn't enough.
“They executed better than we did. I mean, that's it," Coach Lynne Roberts said. "And... we got to where we knew we needed a bucket, and sometimes it's hard as a player when your team needs a bucket to not try to do too much, and we were just trying to make things happen, but again, proud of the fight to come back and we'll get better.”
That fight that Coach was referring to was the Sparks coming back from a 14-point deficit with over six minutes left to go. The Sparks rang up seven in a row to fuel that surge. Los Angeles had a chance to tie the game late but Kelsey Plum's long shot had her foot on the line. After Satou Sabally made the ensuing free throws, Plum's desperate halfcourt heave fell short as the Merc went to 2-0.
“I gotta figure out when teams load up how to make them pay," Kelsey Plum said about the loss and the third quarter problems. "It is a new system, and so, a lot of times in this league, it's a fine line between (the) most aggressive player wins, but then also like Coach said, not trying to do it yourself, so definitely a learning experience.”
What Coach Roberts did not want to ignore, despite the loss, was the performance of Azurá Stevens.
"I do want to say that Azurá was unbelievable tonight," Coach Roberts beamed. "23 points and 17 rebounds. Just unbelievable. And she's been so consistent and steady for us. And, you know, I'm really proud of her. She's figuring it out. I wanted to make sure we highlight her even if we didn't get the win. Just a tremendous performance by her."
What was not tremendous was the Sparks only scoring seven points in the third quarter as they went 2 for 18 (.111) from the field. They'll have to figure out how to get it going to start the second half.
“We want to play with pace, and (Kelsey Plum), as I've said, is the head of the snake," Coach Roberts said about their offensive identity. "And I trust her. I know her teammates trust her to put us on our back in that capacity. I thought she was playing with great pace tonight. The ball wasn't moving enough, I guess I would say, but I do think we have the ability to play even faster in the full court after we get a rebound. I think some of our best offense tonight was in transition, so not losing sight of that."
There were times when the Sparks looked great with that pace. They went on a 23-3 run in the second quarter. But they weren't able to sustain that.
Plum came on late to score 25 points. Those eight of the team's 17 turnovers are going to haunt her. Stevens, as mentioned, finished with 23 points and 17 boards while Dearica Hamby had 15 points. King, who was signed to a hardship deal by the Sparks, had four points and three boards. Julie Allemand made her Sparks debut and had a three-pointer.
For the Merc, they were led by Sabally with 25 points while Alyssa Thomas had a 19-5-7 line.
It'll be a quick turnaround by the Sparks as they go back home to start a three-game stay at Crypto.com Arena on Friday when they play the Golden State Valkyries.