The Fight Was There, but the Finish Wasn’t: Sparks Fall Short Against Valkyries

Coach Lynne Roberts looks on as time begins to run out for the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto Arena. Photo by Jackie Rae

It was a tale of two California cities at Crypto.com Arena: one team playing to strengthen its playoff position, the other fighting to keep its postseason hopes alive.

The Golden State Valkyries arrived in Los Angeles as one of the WNBA’s top teams. The Sparks, meanwhile, continued searching for the consistency that has eluded them throughout the season.

Golden State entered the matchup at 22–9 after becoming the WNBA’s first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season. Los Angeles entered at 12–18, outside the league’s top eight playoff positions and with little room left for error.

Veronica Burton opened the game with a 3-pointer for Golden State, while the Sparks began with back-to-back turnovers. The Valkyries took control early, scoring 29 first-quarter points to build a 29–15 lead.

Coming off a significant win over the Minnesota Lynx, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said Los Angeles was beginning to click. That progress has come as the team continues to establish its identity following the trade that sent offensive leader Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury.

“The reality is that she didn’t play that much for us,” Roberts said. “The team had to figure it out before the trade. So this isn’t new.”

Showing the fruits of a solid scouting report is not new for Golden State. The team's defensive approach appeared focused on limiting the Sparks’ primary scoring options: Rae Burrell, Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby. Burrell, who had scored in double figures in each of her previous games since July 22, did not score until the fourth quarter and finished with nine points. Ogwumike led Los Angeles with 16 points, while Hamby added 12.

The Valkyries carried a 45–32 lead into halftime and continued to control the game through the third quarter. A Kaitlyn Chen layup early in the fourth pushed Golden State’s advantage to 66–47, its largest lead of the night. But the Sparks did not fold.

Cameron Brink provided a jolt with a key block and a 3-pointer as Los Angeles began its comeback. The Sparks outscored Golden State 31–20 in the fourth quarter, using a 26–8 run to trim what had been a 19-point deficit to one. Ariel Atkins’ 3-pointer made it a one-point game with 1:38 remaining.

Golden State responded when it mattered most. Gabby Williams hit a bank shot, Janelle Salaün knocked down a 3-pointer and Kayla Thornton made two free throws to help the Valkyries secure an 84–78 win.

The loss dropped the Sparks to 12–19 and made their road to the postseason more difficult, though not impossible. Los Angeles must make up ground on the teams ahead of it—including the eighth-place New York Liberty—and turn its late-game resilience into complete, consistent performances over the final stretch of the regular season.