MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- This match-up looked much closer to their first game than their second. Unfortunately for the Sparks, they're all the same result.
Los Angeles kept it close for much of the game before a 10-0 Minnesota run in the fourth quarter knocked the Sparks down. Kayla McBride continued to make shots and the Lynx defeated the Sparks in a game that looked closer than the final score indicated, 82-66.
McBride outscored the Sparks in the fourth quarter by herself, 15-12. The Lynx (12-1) scored 25 overall in the final period as the Sparks, as they have mentioned so many times this season, were not able to put together 40 minutes of play.
It was an ugly game throughout. Both teams were hamstrung by turnovers; the Sparks had 17 while the Lynx had 22.
"Defensively, we've shown what we want our identity to probably be moving forward," forward Dearica Hamby said. "Showed that we're capable of playing hard, pressuring the ball, and getting into people's face. That should be the way we should play for 40 minutes going forward."
Los Angeles had a golden opportunity to steal this one as Minnesota did not have Napheesa Collier playing. But McBride throwing fireballs throughout the fourth quarter prevented the Sparks from scoring the upset.
"This league... you can't harp on anything too long. We play Chicago on their home court in a couple of days," guard Kelsey Plum said. "You have to reset but, yeah, I'm a competitor and it's frustrating because we're right there. I want it bad; I want it really bad and I have faith that we will get there. I thought we gained some really big steps tonight."
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts was very much frustrated as well with the loss.
"We just have to keep chopping wood," Roberts said. "Then the tree will fall down. It won't if we stop. There's no stopping me and there's no stopping Dearica and KP and they are the leaders of this group. So we'll be fine. But we just have to keep... I don't ever want to be okay with losing. And I think it's great that we're pissed off that we lost. But like Dearica said, we got to wake up tomorrow and attack Tuesday."
Plum returned after a one-game absence and led the Sparks in scoring with 15 points. Dearica Hamby had 13 points while Azura Stevens scored 11 and grabbed nine boards. The Phee-less Lynx were led by a scorching McBride with 29 points while Courtney Williams, who Coach Roberts mentioned as the X-Factor, had 18. Maria Kliundikova, who was cut by the Sparks in the preseason, had 12 points and eight boards.
The Sparks (4-10) continue their trek in the midwest as they face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on Tuesday.