LOS ANGELES — With star Kelsey Plum and defensive stopper Cameron Brink sidelined by injuries, the Sparks knew they would need a concerted effort, anchored by team defense and execution, to be successful against the Seattle Storm on Monday night.
However, the Sparks trailed by 23 points after three quarters, turned the ball over 18 times, and were doomed by poor shooting and execution in an 82-64 blowout loss at Crypto.com Arena.
“Very frustrating,” Sparks veteran point guard Erica Wheeler said. “Because we’re way better than what we’re displaying and it has to get fixed.”
The Sparks (8-11) shot 33.8% (22 for 65) from the field, including just 5 for 29 (17.2%) from 3-point range, while losing their third straight game. Forward Dearica Hamby scored 14 of her team-high 17 points in the first half, and Nneka Ogwumike finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. They were the only two Sparks to score in double figures as the team could not muster up enough defense to overcome a poor shooting night.
“Stop them from scoring,” Hamby said. “I don’t have an answer.”
“It was given them those transition points that I felt opened the game for them,” Roberts added after Hamby’s blunt response. “Were we elite defensively no. We held them to 82… that’s not bad. I didn’t think the defense was why we lost, personally.”
Lynne Roberts, Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby postgame media availability after the Los Angeles Sparks suffered a disappointing 82-64 loss to the Seattle Storm Monday night.
The Sparks are on a three-game losing streak and will host the Indiana Fever Wednesday night. pic.twitter.com/3yqxAswcK0
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 7, 2026
Meanwhile, Wheeler, who finished with three points, seven assists and three turnovers in 24 minutes, said she has to be better leader.
“I feel like I got frustrated in the beginning of the game,” Wheeler explained. “I kinda took myself out the game so I have to be better. I’ll take my accountability there. For the past five days working on defense. We just have to be better all around. I don’t know anything else to say. We just need to be better collectively.”
Seattle rookie guard Flau’jae Johnson scored her team’s first 13 points and finished with a game-high 23. Guard Natisha Hiedeman added 15 points, and guard Jade Melbourne scored 11.
“They’re better than their record and I mean that genuinely,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said before the game. “They are a dangerous team. Their frontline is huge and not big stiffs either. Those are athletes.”
The Sparks trailed 20-15 at the end of the first quarter and 48-37 at halftime. Johnson had 17 points in the first half.
The Storm (6-17) began the second half on a 5-0 run and established a 53-37 advantage on a Jade Melbourne layup with 8:42 left in the third quarter. A Hiedeman basket extended the lead to 59-40.
“We just weren’t good offensively,” Roberts said.
“It’s tough,” said Sparks forward Rae Burrell who scored five points on 2 of 11 shooting. “Just gotta move on and worry about the next game after this. It already happened. We gotta get in the film room, see what we need to fix and get ready for the next game.”
The Sparks wanted to play physical, match Seattle’s rebounding prowess, and pick up a much-needed win against a team that entered the game with the worst record in the 15-team WNBA.
With midseason fast approaching, the Sparks are at a pivotal point in the season.
“I think right now we’re just working on collecting wins,” Ogwumike said before the game. “Especially before this All-Star break. I think that this is the most important time for you to be able to stack wins because once All-Star comes, of course that’s a little bit of a reset but games will start getting more competitive and from what I can tell, there’s more travel for most teams after that break so being able to stack however many wins you can while people still have legs, I think is incredible important.”
Before the game, the Sparks upgraded guard Kate Martin, a former Iowa teammate of Caitlin Clark, to a standard contract.
“I’m very excited, obviously,” said Martin, who played in 10 games as a developmental player. “I feel very grateful for the opportunity. I’ve been very grateful for this whole experience. I think coming here has been great for my career, not a whole lot changes but it is going to be nice to not worry about if I’m activated for the game or not. I just get to dress out for all of them.”
Martin, who finished with eight points off the bench, is the franchise’s first player to ever be upgraded from a developmental player contract, which she signed on May 10 after being waived during training camp by the Golden State Valkyries.
“She is fearless and prepared and not afraid of the moment,” Roberts said when asked about why the team signed Martin to a standard contract on Monday. “Not nervous, her teammates trust her and she’s just ready, as a coach, you have confidence in players like that.”
Rookie guard Ta’Niya Latson was let go to make room for Martin, but Roberts said she’s hopeful the team will be able to re-sign Latson to a developmental player contract if she clears waivers.
Seattle came into the game focused on ending a two-game losing streak.
“We’re going to take every team really seriously every night,” Seattle first-year coach Sonia Raman said. “Obviously, (Plum and Brink) are two really important players for the Sparks. Two players that really posed a lot of challenges for us in (the first meeting this season) but as we know in this league, there’s just so much talent in this league and so it’s always next player up. That’s what every team is going to say.”
Sparks forward Alissa Pili, the 8th overall pick in the 2024 draft, was signed to a developmental player contract on Sunday. Rookie forward Laura Ziegler was waived to make room for Pili.
“It means everything,” said Pili, who played for Roberts at Utah. “I’ve been working and so for that to just pay off and finally get a contract, it feels really good.”
Pili said she’s recovered from an offseason ankle surgery and feels ready to go. Roberts said she hopes to have Pili activated soon, especially with Brink still sidelined.
UP NEXT
The Sparks play host to the Indiana Fever on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. They will conclude a three-game homestand against the Chicago Sky on Friday night.
Lynne Roberts on the Los Angeles Sparks playing against the Seattle Storm playing without Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink and winning games with the team’s healthy players. pic.twitter.com/90PV6EYAqG
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 7, 2026
Nneka Ogwumike on the Los Angeles Sparks showing improvement after spending a week practice on defensive principles and new wrinkles and Kate Martin earning a standard contract with the Los Angeles Sparks. pic.twitter.com/F2AjBieb8i
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 7, 2026
Seattle Storm head coach Sonia Raman’s pregame media availability before playing the Los Angeles Sparks.
Coach Raman talked about representation when asked about the WNBA not having any black women as head coaches, Flau’jae Johnson playing with pride and Ezi Magegor’s minutes… pic.twitter.com/qoKWAqFLks
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 7, 2026