Postgame Notes: Sparks vs. Wings
Published on July 19, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release
Game Leaders:
Sparks
PTS - Nneka Ogwumike (17) REB - Nneka Ogwumike (10) AST - Erica Wheeler (10)
Wings
PTS - Paige Bueckers (25) REB - Jessica Shepard (14) AST - Jessica Shepard/Odyssey Sims (6)
Key Takeaways:
Nneka Ogwumike recorded her 11th double-double of the season which ranks fourth in the WNBA. She contributed 17 points on 58.3% shooting from the field (7-for-12), 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal
Cameron Brink recorded her 24th career multi-block game, and her eighth this season, which ranks 10th in the league. Overall, the forward contributed 10 points (2-for-3 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), six rebounds and a game-high three blocks, matching her season high
With her five rebounds, Dearcia Hamby has surpassed 2,500 career rebounds. The forward also posted 16 points on 66.7% shooting from field (8-for-12)
Erica Wheeler posted a season-high and game-high 10 assists, adding nine points and two steals.
Chance Gray made all her attempts from beyond the arc contribute six points (2-for-2 3PT)
First Quarter:
At the 9:19 mark, Ogwumike opened scoring for the competition with a jump shot
The Wings went on a 9-0 scoring run from the 8:21 to the 5:49 mark to make the score 4- 9, Dallas' advantage
Ogwumike tallied both a game-high four rebounds and two blocks while also tying Hamby for a team-high four points in the first quarter
The opening quarter featured one lead change and one tie
Second Quarter:
Jihyun Park converted a driving layup via an assist from Hamby to open second quarter scoring and cut the Sparks' deficit, 27 -19
Erica Wheeler recorded a tied for a game-high four assists in the first half while contributing six points, one rebound and posting a team high +3 rating
Ogwumike 's eight rebounds in the first half were a game high
Los Angeles led Dallas in paint points (16-6), assists (8-5) and limited the Wings to no fast break points (2-0) in the second quarter
The Sparks shot 52.6% from the field in the second quarter (10-for-19)
Third Quarter:
The Sparks went on a 17-5 run from 1:27 left in the second quarter to 5:42 left in the third quarter to take the lead 51-50
With only five seconds left in the third quarter, Emma Cannon completed two attempts from the stripe to cut the Sparks' deficit, 66-63
Ogwumike recorded a game-high seven points (2-for-2 FG) and a team-high two rebounds in the third quarter
The Sparks shot 50.0% from the field in the third quarter (8-for-16) and 85.7% from the stripe (6-for-7)
The third quarter featured eight lead changes and one tie
Fourth Quarter:
Hamby completed a layup at the 8:35 mark to open fourth quarter scoring for the Sparks off an assist from Wheeler
In five minutes of action, Brink tallied both a team-high five points (2-for-3 FG, 1-for-1 3PT) and three rebounds in the final quarter
Wheeler 's four assists in the fourth quarter were a game high
The Sparks limited the Wings to 25.0% (1-for-4) from beyond the arc Pregame Quotes:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts
On stopping the Wing's offense:
"[The Wings] got the pieces you need to be dangerous offensively in terms of a tremendous playmaking guard with [ Paige Buckers ], who can go and create her own shot when she needs to.
You've got an incredible shooter with [ Azzi Fudd ], and then in terms of their big three, [ Jessica Shepard 's] just been really good, like phenomenally good this year. So, I mean there's a whole game plan.
I'm not going to get into it, but we know how good they are, how dangerous they are.
I think both us and them are not afraid of playing with pace and getting up and down. So, it could be a track meet of sorts."
On Kate Martin's impact on the team:
"[ Kate Martin is] fantastic and I think it could kind of be like a Paige Bueckers type of thing where everybody likes her, and she has a charisma to her. But then, she's just tremendously competitive, prepared and totally professional.
She's been awesome and she's just someone that you love having around and plays her ass off."
Postgame Quotes:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts
On going against a player like Paige Bueckers:
"I think that's what makes them hard to beat. They've got one of the best playmakers in the world, who I think does a really good job of getting others involved, and then when it's crunch time, she knows that's her time. We messed up on a couple coverages there in the fourth, and again, that's that focus execution piece down the stretch when everything needs to be a little more heightened in terms of the focus part. But, she's a really good player and I think sometimes you know good offense beats good defense. I think what makes Dallas hard to beat is the fact that she can do that."
On the performers of the bench today:
"I thought'JP'[ Jihyun Park ] did a good job too. She came in [and] brought a lot of energy. I thought they did a good job.
Emma [ Cannon ] came in, didn't play a ton, but hit two free throws.
We're going to need that.
It's good to see Chance [ Gray ] see the ball go through the net because we're going to need her.
Kiana Williams was injured today, so [Chance] had a chance to play some backup. [ Erica ] Wheeler played more than we would want her to, but still had 10 assists.
We're just banged up and shorthanded a little bit on the bench side, but those guys came in and gave us everything they had ."
Dearica Hamby
On playing in front of the youth:
"It's exciting. I have a kid in mind that'll be there, so I always enjoy doing things for the youth and with the youth. It's going to be 15,000 screaming people, and we beat Phoenix before. We just need to come up with a win before the break."
Nneka Ogwumike On the team's mental state:
"I think getting any type of win will be good for us. We have one more game before the break.
Of course, these wins are more indicative of the progress that we're making considering the losses we had before this... Like Coach said, we just have to keep working at it, have to keep sharp, especially in those'time and score'situations. I will say that I am impressed with how we've been able to execute our defensive scout.
We're throwing a lot of things at teams.
We're mixing things up, and we're able to stick to it during the game. So, we just have to get those intangible plays, that don't really show up on the score sheet for us to be able to turn these into wins."
On the team's confidence with having close losses:
"When the games are close, it does feel less bad. But, I wouldn't necessarily say that we're logging moral victories. I think at this point, we know what we want to feel, and we want to feel good basketball with a win at the end ."
NEXT: The Sparks return home to the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, July 22 at 12 p.m. PT to host the Phoenix Mercury.
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