LAS VEGAS -- The Sparks couldn't make it three in a row against the Las Vegas Aces.
The Aces kept the Sparks at bay in the second half. With A'ja Wilson having a dominant performance, Las Vegas defeated Los Angeles, 87-71, to even up their season series at two games apiece. This was their final match-up for 2024.
Los Angeles (6-21) was able to cut down the deficit to 54-51 in the third quarter before Las Vegas (17-9) scored eight straight to put their lead back to double figures. The Sparks never threatened again as the Aces made the lead even bigger towards the end of the game.
Still, Sparks head coach Curt Miller knew it was a difficult situation coming in for their team and was proud, nonetheless.
"Obviously, the result is different than a lot on how we feel," Miller said. "I thought we played really really well in stretches tonight. Really competed with them on both ends of the floor.
"Felt really good with our compete level," Miller went on. "Felt really good about our execution tonight coming out of the game. Just a really proud of our team in the environment we were enduring. Our third game in four days and obviously, what we knew we were walking into."
Guard Kia Nurse agreed.
"For us, I think as a team, like Curt said, one of the big pieces of it was having a good game, we executed offensively into really open shots," Nurse said, who had 12 points. "I thought people took shots confidently when they were open and that's a big piece of it as well. But our compete level and our effort today was the biggest thing for us. They threw a couple punches and a couple runs at us and we responded when we needed to. Just didn't end with the result that we wanted."
Rookie Rickea Jackson led the Sparks with 15 points but she said she had been working on her defense the most.
"The thing I've been working on is my one-on-one defense," Jackson said. "I feel like I've been trying to be more disruptive, trying to dictate a little bit more. So I feel like that's something I've been taking personally. I hate getting scored on so I try to really lock in on my feet movement and making sure I'm trying to beat them to the spot."
The Sparks have been playing shorthanded all season long and acquired Odyssey Sims on Saturday. Coach Miller talked about what she brought to the table on short notice.
"Really pleased with how and Crystal (Dangerfield) are competing," Miller said. "Last game, in Chicago, in a tough environment, they played 40 minutes combined with one turnover. I like how they're commanding the point guard position.
"For Odyssey, I know she didn't have a great shooting night," Miller continued. "But she's someone that's gonna be able to get herself to the rim. She's gonna be able, at times, to have streaky games at the arc. I've been around Odyssey; this is not my first time coaching her. As she acclimates and gets used to how we do things, you're just gonna see a better and better Odyssey. She's a veteran and too talented. We're really excited about her in our locker room."
Dearica Hamby ended with a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards; she averaged 22.0 points against Vegas this season.
As for the Aces, A'ja Wilson was all over the place with 34 points and 13 boards. She also had five steals. Fellow Olympian Kelsey Plum finished with 18 points.
The Sparks will get another chance to snap their losing streak as they continue to go on the road. Their next game is on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun.