Sparks head into All-Star break with sixth straight loss after blowout by Aces
Azurá Stevens had 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the Sparks limped into the All Star break with a sixth consecutive loss as the league-leading Las Vegas Aces dominated 97-78 on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
All-Star forward A’ja Wilson scored 16 of her 25 points in the first quarter as the Aces (19-2) won their 12th consecutive game against the Sparks (7-13), who haven’t defeated their Western Conference counterparts since 2019.
Nneka Ogwumike added 20 points with 11 rebounds for the Sparks, and Stevens reached double-digit scoring for the fifth consecutive game.
With Wilson draining her first four shots, the Aces raced out to a 12-4 lead and were ahead 54-31 at halftime. The Sparks scored 10 unanswered points early in the third quarter, but the Aces pushed their advantage back to 28 by finishing the quarter on a 14-2 run.
The Sparks, with five players already sidelined, lost starting forward Dearica Hambry early in a loss to the last-place Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
Beset by injuries and illnesses, the Sparks have had 11 different starting lineups this season. Nia Clouden (foot), Lexie Brown (illness), Layshia Clarendon (foot) and Chiney Ogwumike (foot) watched Wednesday’s game from the bench. Katie Lou Samuelson, who is expecting her first child next month, sat in the first row behind the team.
“I’ve been doing this for well over 30 years now. I’ve never felt a season with [this many] illnesses and injuries,” coach Curt Miller said at practice on Tuesday.
With the All-Star break looming, and an eight-day gap before their next game at Minnesota on July 20, the Sparks could welcome reinforcements soon. Brown and Clarendon returned to practice Tuesday.
