Sparks fourth quarter rally falls short against Valkyries

LOS ANGELES — The fight was there. But once again, it wasn't enough.

It's felt like a recurring theme for the Sparks this season. Get down big and then come back, only to fall short. It would've been great to keep the momentum going after that huge win against the Lynx but the Sparks couldn't overcome the Valkyries at home, 84-78.

The Sparks got down, 29-15, after one. The team wished they could take back that first quarter.

"I think (Erica Wheeler) put it best when we finished the game," Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike said after the game. "She was saying it's the small things, especially when you're… everybody right now is in the thick of it in the season so when you're trying to put these games together, you really have to pay attention to those details. I think a lot of those details showed up in that first quarter. I think we probably can all say that we would do that first quarter over but with a team like that, you absolutely can't have multiple quarters, even one quarter, playing that way."

The Sparks have had many slow starts this season and Sunday was no exception.

"I think today was kind of more of a mind over matter type of day," Ogwumike said. "I don't want to use the schedule as an excuse. As pros, like, I've been doing this a long time. There's always a point in the season when the schedule gets like this. And so I think today was a bit more mind over matter and it took us a little bit of time to kind of get into the game. But I am happy that we didn't just acquiesce to the results of the first quarter. So, yeah, you really just kind of have to get that focus and lock in, as E was telling us after the game."

L.A. came together in the fourth quarter, eventually cutting a 19-point deficit to one at one point.

"I think at halftime, we made adjustments, just try to space the floor out a little bit more," Wheeler said. "I think we were on top of each other. I think we needed to start plays higher. We did that. And we activated Nneka, too, as well. I think in the beginning she barely touched the ball or the shots wasn't going in. And we got her shots. And once Nneka's going and (Dearica Hamby) is going, the game is a little different. As you can see, Rae (Burrell) got going and those are our scorers. So for me, it's my job to put them in position to score and that's what we did. I just wish it happened a little earlier."

Losses can weigh a lot on a team but Wheeler put it in perspective.

"We wake up to play the game that we love. Things happen. Changes happen," Wheeler said. "At the end of the day, you've got to move on from it and lock in on the people that's right next to you, on the side of you. And that's what we've been doing. I think we've been showing some tough (expletive). Excuse my French. I think we've been showing that. And we're just happy to be here, man. It's a dream job. Even though it's hard, it's still a dream job. And I think everybody in that locker room knows that. And we're playing for the person that's next to us and also for our coach."

But nobody likes to lose and Wheeler also put that out there.

"I sat in the locker room. I was like, yeah, the results is not what we want. But we fought like hell out there," Wheeler said. "And Golden State is a great team. They play great defense. So for us to be able to execute down the stretch in the fourth quarter, we beat them by what, nine? That's not easy to do."

Wheeler was corrected and it was actually 11.

"Eleven? Can't count. Got it," Wheeler said as the media crowd laughed. "That's not easy to do. So I just think that we just need to continue this momentum and playing together and stay connected. Throw that first quarter out. It's a different ball game and I think we just need to start how we played that fourth quarter. And things is different. If somebody in the team come in here and beat us and we played hard like that New York game, I felt like no team should have lost. If we playing like that, then pat them on the butt and keep it moving."

And the Sparks will keep it moving as they face the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday at the Galen Center in the University of Southern California.

Ogwumike ended with 16 points and seven boards while Wheeler had 15. Also, new acquisition Monique Akoa Makani was a late scratch due to a bad ankle.

Cecilia Zandalasini made all five of her threes on her way to 15 while Tiffany Hayes came off the bench to score 14. 

The Valkyries were up, 66-47, at the beginning of the fourth quarter but the Sparks went on a dazzling 23-5 run to cut it to 71-70. Still, Golden State made enough shots to keep L.A. at bay. Ogwumike had a potential game-tying three go in and out but Janelle Salaün was able to make hers to put the Valkyries up, 79-73, with 35 seconds left. 

The Sparks are 2-2 since the big Kelsey Plum trade. They are now 12-19 overall with 11 games to go.