Ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the Portland Fire, Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts kept her message simple: no excuses.

“That was ugly,” Roberts said afterward about the officiating. “I get it they’re trying to clean it up. But it’s painful.”

“I know I’m a big part of this team just like everybody is, but I know when I come out aggressive, even if I’m not making shots, it still puts pressure on the defense," Stevens said.

“We gotta just muscle up and be mentally tough to handle it,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts reminded the team.

"This is a diverse league," Sparks Coach Roberts said. "It's a league of predominantly African American women. And we need to be a space that's safe."