Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) – The Los Angeles Sparks (4–9) were handed a tough 98–67 loss by the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night. The Sparks continue to fall short—and while I wish I had something more uplifting to report, the facts are hard to ignore.
They come out with high energy and intensity but can’t seem to maintain it. What’s causing this fizzle in the Spark?
They’ve played 13 games so far—winning only one at home and three on the road. Chemistry and compatibility could be a factor. With games so spread out and rotations constantly shifting, the team hasn’t had much time to gel defensively.
Their new defensive coach, Mike Neighbors, is still figuring out how to maximize this group. After practice, I had the chance to sit down with him—and we both agreed: the third quarter has been a consistent issue.
“We’ve talked about it a lot,” Neighbors said. “I’m not saying we’ve figured it out yet, but we know something’s different. So instead of hoping it changes, we’re trying to make a change.”
One adjustment has been getting players back on the floor earlier after halftime. But the fix isn’t simple.
“Sometimes we make changes at the half anticipating the other team will too—but sometimes they don’t. From talking to our players, it’s never the same issue twice. It’s still a work in progress,” Neighbors said.
Much of the breakdown starts with transition defense, especially at the perimeter.
“That’s where the ball is. If we don’t guard it well there, everything else falls apart,” Neighbors went on to say.
Communication has also been a challenge, with players coming from a wide range of systems and coaching backgrounds.
“They’ve played for 20 or 30 different coaches. So, when we say something like ‘go over a screen,’ they’ve all heard different versions of what that means. We’ve changed our language—we say ‘go second’—and that’s new for them,” Neighbors remarked.
Limited practice time in the WNBA only makes the adjustment harder.
“You don’t get as many reps in the W as you do in college,” Neighbors said. “We’ve had to collapse learning windows. Now that we’re six weeks in, we’re starting to see some carryover from practice to games.”
But against a team like Seattle, the Sparks needed more than progress—they needed precision. The Storm had just snapped Minnesota’s nine-game win streak and carried that momentum right into Crypto.com Arena.
Seattle shot 52% from the field (39-of-75) and knocked down 13-of-30 threes (43.3%). Their offense was a model of efficiency, with 29 assists on 40 made shots, and they punished L.A. for every mistake, converting 22 Sparks turnovers into 31 points.
The Storm also dominated in transition with 24 fast-break points and outscored the Sparks 44–28 in the paint. With just 10 turnovers of their own, Seattle’s game was all about control, cohesion, and chemistry.
For the Sparks, this game wasn’t just a loss—it was a lesson. Seattle demonstrated what championship-caliber basketball looks like: high-percentage shots, team trust, and ruthless execution.
If L.A. wants to reverse their third-quarter collapses, they’ll need to clean up communication, improve ball movement, and bring more cohesion to both ends of the floor. A team firing on all cylinders like Seattle doesn’t leave room for anything less.
Three on Hardship—One Shared Mission
One layer to this dynamic? The Sparks had three players on hardship contracts on the court at the same time—Shey Peddy, Grace Berger, and Liatu King.
Shey Peddy
- Signed: June 14, 2025
- Career: 116 WNBA games | 6.0 PPG | 2.4 RPG | 2.3 APG | 1.1 SPG
- Notable: 2022 best season with Phoenix (9.9 PPG); Atlantic 10 Player & Defensive Player of the Year
Before the game, I interviewed Shey, and her optimism was refreshing.
“In my first home game as a Spark, everything happened so fast,” she said. “The GM called, I had two hours to pack, a delayed flight, and I had to learn the plays on the plane.”
Despite the whirlwind, Peddy leaned into her defensive identity and immediately became a vocal presence.
“I was just trying to help where I could while learning myself,” she said, already building chemistry with Sarah Ashlee Barker, Sania Feagin, and Grace Berger. “Me and Grace—we here. We got this.”
She also offered wisdom in the midst of the chaos:
“It’s not the best product today. You want it to be perfect—it’s not. You’ve gotta give yourself grace, even if the world doesn’t. Grace means greatness.”
Peddy made her first start of the season, finishing with six points, four assists, and three rebounds—and set the tone with the Sparks’ first bucket of the night: a three-pointer assisted by Rickea Jackson.
Silver Linings in the Storm
The scoreboard didn’t swing L.A.’s way, but there were clear bright spots within the loss:
- Sania Feagin had a breakout defensive game with a career-high three blocks.
- Rickea Jackson scored 17 points, nabbed two steals, and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the line.
- Sarah Ashlee Barker hit a new career high with 12 points, going 4-of-5 from deep and adding 7 rebounds.
- Azurá Stevens notched her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points, 10 rebounds (six offensive), and 3 steals.
- Emma Cannon pulled down a season-high 8 rebounds in just 16 minutes.
- Liatu King contributed 6 points on 4-of-4 free throw shooting, showing poise and presence off the bench.
As a team, the Sparks pulled down a season-best 42 rebounds, including 13 on the offensive glass—proof their hustle hasn’t gone anywhere. Off the court, the Sparks continued their commitment to equity, raising $1,000 for Social Justice Partners LA as part of the Commissioner’s Cup, bringing their total donations to $10,000 across six games.
Closing Words & What’s Next
Azurá Stevens summed it up best:
“We have key people out, but we have enough to still execute and get things done… Not everything was a loss tonight. There are still things we can build from.”
Up next, the Sparks hit the road—where three of their four wins have come. The three-game Midwest trip begins Saturday:
- Saturday, June 21 at Minnesota Lynx (7 p.m. CT)
- Tuesday, June 24 at Chicago Sky (7 p.m. CT)
- Thursday, June 26 at Indiana Fever (6 p.m. CT)
The path won’t be easy—but the Sparks have shown they’re capable of competing. Now it’s about putting it all together. One game. One quarter. One possession at a time.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.