History made in Hollywood: Angel Reese dominates as Sky beat Sparks

Sky forward Angel Reese scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, becoming the first WNBA player to record 15-plus boards in four consecutive games. Guard Kelsey Plum finished with 22 points and five assists for the Los Angeles Sparks (5-12), who dropped Sunday’s game against the Chicago Sky (5-11) in front of 13,523 at Crypto.com Arena.

Former LSU standout Reese also recorded seven assists, two blocks and a steal while shooting 10-for-19 from the field in 38 minutes of action, joining an elite club of frontcourt greats. She became only the fourth player in WNBA history to achieve this statline. Two of the other three—Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker—were in the building to witness it.

“I only had four O-boards, so it wasn’t just ‘mebounds’ tonight,” Reese expressed during the postgame press conference. “But when you get rebounds, it’s never a negative when somebody can’t stop you on the boards. That leads to more points for us.”

Reese then reflected on her offensive production in the post, especially with center Kamilla Cardoso out on international duty.

“When [Cardoso]’s not here, I try to take advantage,” Reese said. “I worked this offseason to finish better. The first eight games I couldn’t finish—it was frustrating—but I trusted my work, and my teammates did too.”

In just year two of being in the WNBA, Reese entered the Sky’s all-time top 10 for rebounds.

The night also marked a historic milestone off the court. At halftime, the Sparks honored former forward Candace Parker by retiring her No. 3 jersey in a heartfelt ceremony.

Parker, a two-time league MVP and three-time WNBA champion, addressed the home crowd before arena staff lifted her jersey into the rafters beside those of Sparks greats Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler.

Parker reflected on the emotional weight of having her jersey retired in the city where her WNBA journey began. For Parker, Los Angeles isn’t just where she launched her career.

“It’s become home,” Parker said. “I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere else. And so it’s super important for me to be able to see this jersey in the rafters before any of the other ones.”

She emphasized how much her 13 seasons with the Sparks shaped her, both professionally and personally.

“I think my 13 years here were super special. You know, it was ups, downs, wins, losses, heartbreaks, rewards,” Parker continued. “But I think it’s just super special to be able to share that with the teammates and coaches and organization that, you know, bet on me, picked me first in the 2008 WNBA Draft.”

As Parker reflected on the journey that began with the Sparks drafting her first overall in 2008, the current roster looked to channel that same resilience on the court.

After struggling with just 31% shooting in the first half, the Sparks found their rhythm in the third quarter. Chicago built a 48-36 lead off a three-point play from Angel Reese, but L.A. answered with a spirited 17-3 run to seize a seven-point advantage midway through the frame.

Chicago trailed 62-61 heading into the fourth, but Reese sparked a clear-cut run.

After Rickea Jackson tied the game at 66, Reese responded with a driving layup to break the tie. She scored six straight points—including a transition layup and two mid range jumpers—to swing momentum in the Sky’s favor for good.

Reese scored 11 points in the final quarter and delivered the dagger with a clutch and-one finish that put Chicago ahead 85–74 with 2:32 remaining. The Sky shot 42.3% from beyond the arc and out-rebounded the Sparks 41–37 in the matchup.

The Sparks and Sky traded blows in this physical matchup that demanded production from both benches. Chicago’s Ariel Atkins came out aggressive, knocking down a 15-foot pull-up jump shot with the assist from Angel Reese to keep the Sky offense in control early. Later in the third, Atkins dropped a 25-foot three point jumper. She finished with 20 points on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting night and shot perfect at 4-for-4 from the free throw line, amplifying her composure and setting the tone for a balanced offensive effort.

Kia Nurse provided instant offense off the bench, sinking momentum-swinging threes and slicing through L.A.’s defense to finish with 14 points. Rachel Banham followed suit with 13 of her own, calmly running the offense and hitting key shots when the game tightened. In the paint, Elizabeth Williams muscled her way to 12 points, contributing to a Sky attack that saw five players finish in double figures.

But the Sparks were not going down without grit and experience.

Kelsey Plum led the response, pushing the pace and drawing contact with fearless drives. She poured in 22 points and set a new career high in free throws, going a perfect 12-for-12 at the line. Her relentless attack kept L.A. within striking distance. Dearica Hamby matched her energy with another all-around performance—20 points, 10 rebounds, and her fifth double-double of the season. Whether she was finishing in traffic or chasing down boards, Hamby gave the Sparks a fighting chance.

Azura Stevens added 17 points and matched her season high with four assists, threading tight passes and knocking down midrange looks. She also grabbed six rebounds. Emma Cannon brought a spark off the bench, draining a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and finishing with a season-high 15 points. She set a career high in made threes and a season high in field goals, going 6-for-9 from the floor.

“I think both ways it was physical tonight, Hamby said. “I feel like I was more intentional on being assertive, demanding my spots, and getting hit from the high-low from my teammates. I would’ve loved to have a win, but if I can consistently play like that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Still, despite the offensive firepower, the Sparks couldn’t close the gap in crunch time. The Sky executed late-game possessions with precision, holding off L.A.’s final push to seal the 92–85 win.

After the game, emotions ran high in the Sparks’ locker room. Hamby reflected on the night with a sense of perspective. “I think both ways it was physical tonight,” she said. “I feel like I was more intentional on being assertive, demanding my spots, and getting hit from the high-low from my teammates. Obviously, I would’ve loved to have a win, but if I can consistently play like that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Despite strong stretches of play led by the veteran energy and physicality of Hamby and Plum, the Sparks struggled to finish. Cannon highlighted that closing games comes down to commitment, not just tactics.

“We have to learn how to finish games,” she said. “It’s not necessarily what the other team does—it’s about us digging in and buying in. We’ve been playing great for 30 minutes, but we have to put it all together.”

Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts clarified her comments on this being a “must-win” game and emphasized the need for greater mental and physical toughness.

“We’ve got to be tougher,” Roberts said. “There’s no magic formula—you either choose to learn or make excuses. And that starts with me. The sun’s going to come up tomorrow, and we’re going to attack the next opponent. I’ll look in the mirror and ask where I can be better.”

Chicago now leads the Sparks 2-1 in the regular season series, marking the team’s 10th win in the last 13 meetings with Los Angeles. The Chicago Sky continue their road swing to the Midwest for their matchup with the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, while the Sparks will hit the road to NYC for their matchup with the Liberty on Thursday.