Sparks’ skid hits 6 games against sizzling Sun

LOS ANGELES — It had been a bully minute.

Actually, a bully two-plus years.

But portion a mates of different streaks continued Thursday (the Connecticut Sun won their 11th consecutive game; the Sparks mislaid their sixth successful a row), different inclination ended: Derek Fisher’s squad mislaid astatine Staples Center for the archetypal clip successful 18 games and for the archetypal clip since June 18, 2019.

The Sparks finished with a 15-2 location grounds successful 2019, earlier COVID-19 forced the WNBA into a bubble for the full 2020 season. Then, due to the fact that the pandemic pushed backmost the NBA season, extending the Clippers’ and Lakers’ seasons, the Sparks had to acceptable up astatine the L.A. Convention Center for the archetypal fractional of the existent play earlier returning to their accepted location tribunal aft the WNBA’s Olympic hiatus. They won 3 successful a enactment successful the arena earlier venturing retired and going 1-5 connected a grueling roadworthy trip.

The Sparks’ instrumentality to Staples Center connected Thursday wasn’t the salve that Coach Derek Fisher’s squad hoped, not against the front-running Sun, who bushed L.A., 75-57. Three of the Sparks’ past six defeats person travel against Connecticut.

L.A.’s already tenuous playoff prospects took different stroke with the loss. The Sparks (10-19) present are a afloat crippled retired of eighth spot and a playoff berth.

Meanwhile, astatine 23-6, the first-place Sun secured a treble bye successful the postseason with Thursday’s win.

Jonquel Jones, the Suns’ graceful 6-foot-6 forward, led 4 Sun scorers successful treble figures with 21 points – to spell with 14 rebounds. Brionna Jones added 15 points, DeWanna Bonner had 11 and Jasmine Thomas scored 10.

Nneka Ogwumike and Nia Coffey scored 12 points apiece for the Sparks, and Erica Wheeler scored 8 of her 10 points aft halftime.

After missing the past 3 games with genu soreness, Chiney Ogwumike played six minutes successful the archetypal fractional and finished with 2 points and an assistance against her erstwhile team.

The Sparks stumbled into a heavy spread astatine the outset Thursday, falling down 17-0 to commencement – the aforesaid borderline by which they trailed astatine halftime.

Nneka Ogwumike broke the crystal with a layup with 4:10 to play successful the archetypal 4th and L.A. closed the opening 10-minute framework connected an 8-2 run.

But the Sun kept coming, outscoring their hosts 26-20 successful the 2nd 4th to instrumentality a 45-28 pb into halftime – erstwhile Jones already had a double-double successful her archetypal 18 minutes of action. By intermission, the Sun prima already had 17 points and 10 rebounds – 1 much than the full Sparks team.

The Sun besides had a notable aboriginal vantage astatine the free-throw line, wherever they were 17 for 18 earlier halftime. The Sparks changeable lone 5 escaped throws (and made 4 of them) earlier the break.

The Sparks’ effort didn’t wane. They played Connecticut adjacent aft halftime, losing the 2nd fractional 30-29. They deed the platform often warring for escaped balls, but they besides couldn’t debar fouling Connecticut players, who changeable a season-high 29 escaped throws, connecting connected 26 of them.

L.A. – which was outrebounded 32-19 – went to the enactment lone 11 times, and made 9 of those foul shots.

More to travel connected this story.