LOS ANGELES – Naphessa Collier scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds, leading the Minnesota Lynx (7-2) to an 82-68 victory Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks (2-7) at Crypto.com Arena.
The Sparks struggled to find the bottom of the net all night, allowing the Lynx to capitalize on their poor shooting from the jump. Minnesota’s Collier led her team’s offense from the paint and the Lynx opened the game on an 11-0 run. Sparks forward Dearica Hamby tried her best to match Collier’s effort and put the team on her shoulders with her 17 points and 11 rebounds; however, Hamby’s effort was overshadowed by her team’s 26% field goal shooting.
Following Wednesday night’s loss, the Sparks are on a three-game losing skid. The team’s inability to move the ball is a glaring issue the Sparks have dealt with all season. With only 15 team assists Wednesday night and a league second-worst 18.6 per game, the Sparks must find a true point guard to run their offense.
The Lynx’s physicality frustrated the Sparks, especially rookie center Cameron Brink. Brink’s foul trouble struggles continued against the Lynx, as she fouled out in the fourth quarter. This is Brinks’ fifth game this season giving five or more fouls.
“As much as the physicality is being allowed in this league, we’ve got to make the adjustment,” head coach Curt Miller said. “We’ve got to be able to handle the physicality.”
Minnesota’s strategic and free-flowing offense provided the synergy the Sparks could not replicate. Setting off ball screens and making backdoor cuts, the Lynx’s movement created 30 paint points—a critical factor in their victory.
“One thing that’s impressive with Minnesota right now is their tempo. They’re just flying in and out of actions,” Miller said.
While the Sparks need to play with more muscle going forward, the team found a way to win the rebound battle against the Lynx. The Sparks grabbed a season-high 40 rebounds to the Lynx’s 37.
“They’re disappointed but not discouraged. They believe these things can be corrected, but they’ve got to throw the first punch,” Miller said. “We’ve got to eliminate the slow first quarters.”
Next, the Sparks will host the Dallas Wings (3-5) on Friday at 7 p.m.