Sparks drop third straight after loss to Valkyries

LOS ANGELES -- It's about putting it all together for 40 minutes. And the Sparks have not done that yet.

The upstart Golden State Valkyries went on a 26-1 frenzied run that put the Sparks on their heels for most of the game. The Sparks were able to get a 20-point lead down to five but ultimately fell short, 82-73.

It was a frustrating night for the Sparks. Coach Lynne Roberts talked about their struggles. 

"I was really frustrated with the second quarter," Coach Roberts said. "We missed some shots that they were expecting to make and that just affected our defense. We stopped the game plan. We weren't running. We weren't moving it. We were doing too much one-on-one. Yeah, it's bad. We gotta fix it. We gotta pull a full 40 minutes together and we haven't done that all year."

As mentioned earlier, the Valkyries went on a 26-1 run that spanned the first and second quarters. The lead ballooned to 20 points before the Sparks made a spirited comeback that fell short, which has seemingly been the theme for the squad in this three-game losing streak.

"We showed toughness to come back and play with urgency. We just talked about it as a team," Coach Roberts said. "And I know the players get it. We can't wait. We did show toughness. We didn't fold; they kept competing. We made it a game. We had all the momentum there and we kind of lost it on the free throw line. But... why does it take 30 minutes for us to play like that in terms of... you don't have to play perfect but you have to play hard. And with urgency; I keep using that word.

"It sucks to learn from a loss. But sometimes, that's the way it has to be. But we'll bounce back. The beauty of this league is that had we won tonight, we still have to play Chicago in 36 hours. So win or lose, you gotta pick yourself up, regroup, and re-attack. And that's what we're gonna do."

Sarah Ashlee Barker got her second start in a row. She finished with seven points, four rebounds, and four assists.

“From the mental aspect of it, just next-play mentality," Barker said. "I have great coaches who believe in me, trust in me, and like Coach said, we play Chicago in 36 hours, so you gotta move on to the next and just be ready for the next moment.”

Dearica Hamby talked about the fourth quarter comeback they attempted.

“I just do what I do consistently, just trying to bring energy," Hamby said. "Definitely picked up the defensive energy. Got some good hustle plays and wanted to get us the momentum. But I want to win so I'm willing to do whatever.”

Hamby led the Sparks with 25 points. Plum, who had 37 points in their first match-up, was limited to 16. Odyssey Sims had a fast start on her way to 13 points. On the other side, the Valkyries were led by Carla Leite with 19 points. Janelle Salaun had 18 while Kayla Thornton had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.

As Coach Roberts and Barker said, it's on to the next game. They have the Chicago Sky on Sunday.