Postgame Notes: Sparks vs. Aces
WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

Postgame Notes: Sparks vs. Aces

Published on September 23, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release


Game Leaders:

Sparks

PTS - Nneka Ogwumike (17) REB - Nneka Ogwumike (9) AST - Erica Wheeler (5)

Aces

PTS - A'ja Wilson (18) REB - A'ja Wilson (10) AST - Jackie Young (11)

Key Takeaways:

Nneka Ogwumike recorded both a team-high 17 points and team-high nine rebounds in addition to two assists and one block

Erica Wheeler scored 16 points (2-for-4 3PT) including a team-high two made three- pointers. She also tallied a team-high five assists, four rebounds and one steal

Tonie Morgan recorded a career-high 14 points (6-for-7 FG, 2-for-2 3PT), with a career- high two made three-pointers. She also recorded the first block of her WNBA career

Rae Burrell contributed 11 points (3-for-3 FT), one rebound and one steal

First Quarter:

Wheeler opened scoring for the Sparks with a triple at the 8:48 mark

Las Vegas went on a 15-0 scoring run from the 7:37 to the 2:14 mark to make the score 17-5, Aces' advantage

Rae Burrell led the Sparks in scoring with a game-high-tying six points (2-for-3 FG) and one steal

Second Quarter:

Los Angeles went on a 11-0 scoring run from the 4:28 to the 2:20 mark to make the score 35-29, Las Vegas' advantage

Wheeler scored a game-high 13 points in the first half of play (6-for-10 FG) to go along with three rebounds, three assists and one steal in less than 14 minutes of play

In the second quarter alone, Morgan tied her career high in points scored with eight while completing all her attempts from the field (3-for-3 FG), including two made three- pointers to mark a new career high

Los Angeles led Las Vegas in rebounds (11-5), paint points (14-6) and second chance points (5-2)

The Sparks limited the Aces 38.9% (7-for-18) from the field and no fast break points (4- 0) in the second quarter

Third Quarter:

Ogwumike opened second half scoring with two free throws at the 9:22 mark to make the score 42-35, Aces' advantage

Las Vegas went on a 12-2 run from the 3:59 to the 1:16 mark to make the score 63-45, Aces' advantage

Ogwumike completed all her attempts from the field to contribute a game-high eight points (3-for-3 FG, 2-for-2 FT) in addition to a team-high two rebounds in the third quarter

Fourth Quarter:

Ariel Atkins drained a triple at the 9:46 mark to open scoring for the final quarter via an assist from Chance Gray to cut the Sparks' deficit, 65 -54

Ogwumike recorded a game-high 13 points in the second half in addition to four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 15 minutes of play

The Sparks out-shot the Aces 61.1% (11-for-18 FG) and 60.0% (3-for-5 3PT) to 47.1% (8-for-17 FG) and 28.6% (2-for-7 3PT)

Atkins tied for a game-high seven points (3-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 3PT) in the final quarter

Pregame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On the team's resilience: "I'm proud of that. The year has been full of adversity and all sorts of things, but man, these guys have not quit on each other often. They've played. .. We've had some great wins. We've had some heartbreaking losses. We've had some bad losses. So, we've had the whole gambit, and they showed up the next day the same. I think that's the culture we're building. We just gotta take steps towards getting back to the winning ways that we need to, but it means a lot to me, and I take pride in it. I give credit to the players, because it's been hard, but they have been true professionals."

On Ariel Atkins' development this season: "I'm proud of [ Ariel Atkins ]. She hasn't had... the season that she wanted to from a shooting standpoint, but I do feel like she's coming into her own and figuring it out. Against Portland, she was aggressive, confident [and] took great shots. She just looked like herself. I t's not that it was the only game this year, but I'm hoping she can finish the year with that same mentality...

Talk about the ultimate professional. Despite [feeling like] she hasn't lived up to the expectation she puts on herself, man, she puts the work in and there's no pouting. There's no feeling sorry for he rself. She's just a pro and such a quality human being and teammate. There's been games where she hasn't gotten a lot of shots, but defensively she has never relaxed, never given up.

She's just been a joy to coach."

Postgame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On the team's attitude and work ethic: " I think we've all seen them improve, and we've had a lot of different lineups out there all the time. Today, we had to play small most of the game and they're just willing and able to do whatever's best. So, there's not this sense of prima donna entitlement. There's a work ethic, a blue collar-ness to them that I really love. Those are the types that... roll up [their] sleeves together and just attack their development. But I believe in them. I think they know that. I think it's tricky sometimes out there to know what's working, what's not. But man, they show up in every timeout, every huddle, with the right attitude of learning and competing."

On how this season will impact players in the off-season: " When things don't go well, it really forces you to figure out what's important and figure out what your priorities are. You can you can feel sorry for yourselves, or you can choose to learn from it and be tougher by it. I think that's the way life works. So what these guys have shown me is that they're going to show up and do the work and and compete... They're just logging minutes that are going to help them Thursday, and it's going to help them in the off season. It's going to help them next year. They'll all go play in the off season and come back with a just a different level of experience and confidence. So, I'm excited about that. "

Chance Gray

On receiving support from Ariel Atkins & Erica Wheeler: " I have a lot of respect for them. I am kind of the same position as Ariel [ Atkins ] and I see how she shows up every game. No matter what it looks like on the offensive side -- for her -- she has a hard defensive assignment each game, and she plays hard as she can every time.

She's getting steals, deflections, she never gives up, and she's always encouraging. Same with'E-Dub'[ Erica Wheeler ]; she's a great vet. She's always talking and giving me a lot of confidence. They're both great people, great vets ." Tonie Morgan On Nneka Ogwumike's influence: "

First, [ Nneka Ogwumike is] an amazing person. Obviously, we know she's a great player, but she's an amazing person. She took me under her wing when I first came in, and she's just been amazing to all of us. Sharing her wisdom with everybody anytime she can, even on the sidelines, baselines, whenever she can. She's just been very helpful for me in my development in this week, so I'm very grateful for her."

NEXT: To cap off the end of the season, the Sparks host the Golden State Valkyries at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, September 24 at 7 p.m. PT

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