Postgame Notes: Sparks vs. Sky
WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

Postgame Notes: Sparks vs. Sky

Published on July 17, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release


Game Leaders:

Sparks PTS - Nneka Ogwumike (18) REB - Nneka Ogwumike (12) AST - Rae Burrell (5)

Sky PTS - Sydney Taylor (19) REB - Kamilla Cardoso (11) AST - Natasha Cloud (9)

Key Takeaways:

- With her 18 points scored, Nneka Ogwumike now holds sole possession of all-time points scored on the Sparks list, passing franchise legend Lisa Leslie. The forward also recorded a game-high 12 rebounds to mark her 125th career double-double, which ranks sixth all-time. She also contributed four assists, one steal and one block

- Dearica Hamby tallied a team high tying 18 points, six rebounds, two assists and a teamhigh two steals

- Erica Wheeler had her fifth straight game of 10 or more points as she contributed 14 points, four rebounds and four assists

- Rae Burrell had a career high five assists tonight, which surpasses her career high of four assists that she posted last game against Atlanta

- In her second game back after returning from injury, Cameron Brink contributed nine points (4-for-4 FT), six rebounds and game high tying two blocks First Quarter:

- Erica Wheeler opened scoring for the competition with a layup at the 9:15 mark via an assist from Ogwumike

- Ogwumike scored a team-high five points and collected a game-high four rebounds in the first quarter

- Rae Burrell tallied a team-high three assists in the first quarter

- The Sparks limited the Sky to 35.0% from the field, 12.5% from beyond the arc and outrebounded Chicago 11-8 in the first quarter Second Quarter:

- With less than one minute left in the first half, Burrell converted a driving layup off an assist from Ariel Atkins to make the score 47-36, Chicago's advantage

- Ogwumike achieved a team-high in both points and rebounds, tallying seven points on 100.0% (2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 3PT) shooting from the field and three rebounds

- In the first half of play, Los Angeles led Chicago in fast break points (10-7)

- The Sparks limited the Sky to 29.4% (5-for-17) from three in the first half

- The first half featured five lead changes and two ties Third Quarter:

- Los Angeles went on an 8-0 run from the 2:09 to the 1:24 mark to cut the Sparks' deficit, 65-58

- Hamby contributed a game-high eight points (2-for-3 FG) and tied for a game-high three rebounds in less than eight minutes of action

- In just four minutes, Brink scored seven points on 100% shooting (1-for-1 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 2-for-2 FTS) and secured two rebounds and two blocks

- The Sparks shot 57.1% from the field (8-for-14) and 75.0% from the stripe (9-for-12) in the third quarter Fourth Quarter:

- The Sky opened the final quarter on a 11-3 scoring run until the 6:14 mark to make the score 80-66, Chicago's advantage

- With only seven seconds left in the game, Atkins converted a layup to cut the Sparks' deficit to make the final score 96-82, Sky's advantage

- Atkins' scored a team-high five points in the final quarter along with two rebounds

- In the second half, Los Angeles led Chicago in paint points (22-18), second chance points (8-2) and limited the Sky to no blocks (4-0)

Pregame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On signing Tonie Morgan:

"We have a limited number of games left for the [developmental players]. I think there's seven left, so [we're] trying to find who we can [so] that we really can use that position for what it's intended for in terms of developing [and] finishing the season. Then you have the rights to them, and [Tonie Morgan] was someone that we had on our draft board... she projects well. The thing with her is she's a true point guard, and those are hard to find, so [we] brought her in to see if we can develop her in our system. [She's a] great kid and had a good college career."

On Nneka Ogwumike's poise and power:

"We've had a rough go, just with people being in and out, and [Kelsey Plum] being out as long as she's out. Obviously, we have [Cameron Brink] back now, but it's just been an adjustment for us. I think Nneka [Ogwumike] has taken it on herself to be more dominant when it's needed. She's so intentional with everything she does. How she does everything is how she does everything from the little things to the major things. It's all very intentional, under control, very poised... She's never out of control. She's never taking bad shots. It's just impressive. And speaking to [Nneka Ogwumike tying Lisa Leslie's record for all-time Sparks points scored], I've run out of adjectives to describe her. I've never been around a player or a human being like her. Just the gravity that she carries and everything she does. So, for her to be the all-time leading Sparks scorer is deserved. What I love about Nneka is her humility, and I promise you [when she passes Lisa Leslie's record], after the game she's going to talk about Lisa Leslie. She just has a humility to her but a confidence in who she is. [It's] an unbelievable achievement, and I'm happy that I get to coach her."

Postgame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On the team's mental toughness:

"I've told them this many times, I have so much faith in these guys, and it is a good group. They want to be coached. They want to win. They want to succeed for the [organization], and it's not easy though, right? The game is fast, and it's psychical, and there's things that you can't control. But, there's a level of mental toughness that breeds consistency, and I feel like we show moments of it, and then moments where we don't have it, and so that's what I'm looking for. I believe in these guys, I really do. But, it's that mental toughness to stay locked in despite all the things that are going on in the game. That's what's going to get us over the hump."

On the team's challenge with turnovers:

"It's just not executing the way we're supposed to. So, people don't know where things are supposed to be, we're out of position, and that's when sloppy passes happen, rush shots, rush moves. We've got to clean it up. We were doing really well in that department, but Chicago had 15 more shot attempts. It's going to be nearly impossible to beat anybody, especially you know when we didn't shoot great. But even if we don't shoot it great, you can't have 15 more possessions. If you're not going to have a great shooting night, you got to win it through taking care of the ball and defending. And we didn't do that."

Dearica Hamby

On maintaining focus in the locker room:

"I would say just keep preaching what we've been preaching about. I know we said we need to act on it, but the league keeps moving. We got to keep moving forward. We can't sulk and be sorry and feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to be better and do better and follow directions."

Nneka Ogwumike

On Lisa Leslie and breaking the all-time Sparks scoring record:

"Being able to grow up watching someone that really [pioneers] not just the women's sports, but [the] WNBA and also the Sparks. She is just synonymous with the LA Sparks in the same way that Candace [Parker] is, and to be mentioned in her company is kind of sureeal. It hasn't quite hit, maybe it'll hit after a win, but I'm very grateful to be in a position to be doing this in a Sparks jersey."

On accountability:

"I've been on a lot of teams, and there's been teams where you couldn't even welcome the conversation around accountability. We have a group of people that speak on it, and we want to be a group of people that act on it. But like coach said after the game today, it's a gut check at this point. We have to really understand that the notion of 'oh, what's the next one? It's okay.' No, we have to fix it. Fix something now. I think that people feel that we are committed to doing one thing how we do everything after the game, and so I'm looking forward to seeing howe we can continue to chip away at that barrier that's keeping us from being sustainably good over the course of a game and over the course of a season."

NEXT: The Sparks head down to Arlington, Texas to face the Wings on Sunday, July 19 at 10:30 a.m. PT before heading back to Los Angeles.

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