LOS ANGELES – The Battle of California is all tied up.
The Valkyries defeated the Sparks 82 to 73 on Friday Night at Crypto.com Arena. From the Bay to LA, these two squads bring must-watch basketball with three’s raining, ankles breaking and tension rising. But it was the dynamic duo of Carla Leite and Janelle Salaün that put pressure on the Sparks to get their second loss at home.
The first quarter delivered hype and high energy, with the crowd feeding off back-to-back threes from Dearica Hamby and Odyssey Sims and quick steals by Kelsey Plum. The Sparks even went on a 17-2 run with four minutes left in the first quarter but that seemed to be their peak.
From the second quarter on, it was all Golden State.
Learning from their opening day loss in the Bay, the Valkyries made it clear: there would be no encore of Plum’s 37-point performance. They held her to 16 points, playing more connected and intense basketball than the Purple and Gold.
With Tiffany Hayes out with a nose injury, Leite stepped up to the plate and made a huge impact on the game. The French rookie had a breakout game of 19 points and three assists, while Salaün added an explosive 18 points and eight rebounds. The Valkyries turned an early 11-point deficit into a 16-0 run in the second quarter, capitalizing on Sparks turnovers and fast break opportunities.
Nico Alba - The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Sparks guard Odyssey Sims (0) shoots a three during a WNBA basketball game against the Golden State Valkyries, Friday May 23rd, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts shared her frustration regarding being down 15 points at the half.
“We missed some shots I think they were expecting to make and I think that just affected our defense. We stopped the game plan. We weren’t running, we weren’t moving it,” Roberts said. “Yeah, it was bad. We have to fix it. We got to put a full forty minutes together, we haven’t done it yet all year.”
Despite the loss, Hamby gave it everything she had, finishing with 25 points and six rebounds, including a powerful fourth-quarter surge.
“I got some good hustle plays, some and-1s to get us the momentum but I mean I want to win,” Hamby said. “So I’m willing to do whatever.”
Sims chipped in with a season-high of 13 points, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
As the Sparks look ahead, the question remains: What will it take to push past this hump? Next play mentality. Whether it's controversial calls or consecutive losses, the key is to learn, adjust and bounce back. Coach Roberts credits this mentality as a key mindset the Sparks need moving forward.
“Win or lose you have to pick yourself up. Regroup and re-attack and that’s what we're going to do. I have the utmost confidence in these players and what they want, and I do think we’ll be alright.”
The Sparks return to Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, aiming to reclaim homecourt and reset the tone against the Chicago Sky.