Postgame Notes: Valkyries vs. Sparks
Published on August 9, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release
Game Leaders:
Sparks
PTS - Nneka Ogwumike (16) REB - Nneka Ogwumike (7) AST - Erica Wheeler (4)
Valkyries
PTS - Cecilia Zandalasini (15) REB - Cecilia Zandalasini (7) AST - Veronica Burton (7)
Key Takeaways:
With her one block, Cameron Brink now holds sole possession of 7th all-time on the Sparks list in blocks, passing Azurá Stevens. The forward also tallied seven points, seven rebounds and recorded a new season high in steals with a team-high two
Nneka Ogwumike scored a game-high 16 points (2-for-2 FT) and seven made field goals in addition to her seven rebounds and three assists
In 15 minutes of action, Kiana Williams scored 10 points, recorded a new season in assists with three -- one assist shy of matching her career high -- and matched her season high in field goals made with four
Erica Wheeler scored 15 points and completed a team-high three made three-pointers.
The guard also contributed two rebounds and four assists
Los Angeles led Golden State in paint points (38-34), second chance points (21-15) and fast break points (5-2)
First Quarter:
The Valkyries went on a 18-4 scoring run from the 7:07 to the 2:43 mark to make the score 23- 8, Golden State's advantage
Kiana Williams scored a team-high seven points in the opening quarter, completing all her attempts from the field (3-for-3 FG, 1-for-1 3PT) in less than three and half minutes of action
Ogwumike collected a for a game-high-tying three rebounds in the first quarter
Second Quarter:
Ariel Atkins opened scoring for the second quarter with a tripe at the 9:41 mark to cut the Sparks' deficit, 29 -18
Ogwumike led the team in scoring with six points (2-for-2 FT) along with one rebound
Brink collected a team-high three rebounds in the quarter
The Sparks held the Valkyries to 37.5% (6-for-16) shooting from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc (2-for-7)
Los Angeles outscored Golden State 5-0 in fast break points for the quarter
Third Quarter:
Dearica Hamby scored a game-high eight points (4-for-5 FG) in the third quarter while contributing two rebounds
In less than five minutes of action, Ogwumike tallied six points (3-for-4 FG) and two rebounds
Los Angeles led Golden State in paint points (14-8) and second chance points (6-3) in the third quarter
The Sparks limited the Valkyries to shooting 38.1% (8-for-21) from the floor and (3-for- 8) from three point territory
Fourth Quarter:
In the final quarter, Los Angeles went on a 23-5 run from the 9:23 to the 2:18 mark to cut the Sparks' deficit, 71 -70
Erica Wheeler scored a team-high eight points on 100% shooting from the field (1-for- 1) and 50% shooting from beyond the arc (2-for-4)
The Sparks outshot the Valkyries 65.0% (13-for-20) to 40.0% (6-for-15) from the field and 55.6% (5-for-9) to 20.0% (2-for-10) from three in the final quarter of play
Los Angeles led Golden State in both points off turnovers (8-to-2) and points in the paint (6-to-2) in the quarter
Pregame Quotes:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts
On building on their success on the road:
"I think that game we finally put it all together. The fourth quarter defense and our execution was really good... We have been playing better. The assist numbers that we've been putting up ... [are good]. We've been moving the ball, sharing it and I think things are starting to click. [ Monique Akoa Makani ] has been a grea t add. She's out tonight, but we'll get her back soon, hopefully.
It's just the mentality of how locked in you need to be to complete a game in your sleep. The margin of error is so slim, and were not sitting where we all wanted to be a couple months ago, but I still feel like we're improving, and these guys are playing their tails off for me, for us, for each other, and they're bought in. They want to win every time they put a jersey on, so that's all I can ask for."
On staying driven and grounded:
"It's a balancing act of expecting improvement. Holding accountability to do things the way we want to do them. Holding them accountable, holding each other accountable... And then as staff, we've got to do the same and just keep pushing. Every time we put on that uniform as a group, we want to win, and I don't care where we stand. I know it's a small chance, but we still can make the playoffs if things fall right. So, I don't know how to do anything else but just strive for that. I t's got to be process driven, and it's hard in a results driven industry. But finding the things that we're good at, building on those, finding things win or lose that we didn't do well and improving. But not get too high, not get too low.
I think that's what winners do."
Postgame Quotes:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts
On Rae Burrell's increased workload this season:
"Rae [ Burrell ]'s built to play. I'm not worried, and she's young, and so I don't think she's playing too many minutes. I don't think that was a fatigue thing. I think the way Golden State put Gabby Williams on her, who was one of the best defenders in the league frustrated her.
Rae's now in a starting role, so she's playing against primary guys, and her speed and athleticism is a danger for defenses, and so she's getting the best defender on the perimeter, and that's a growth process, right? Just figuring out how to manage that, not get frustrated, those type of things. And she did a great job in the fourth. "
On Kiana Williams:
"Thank goodness [ Kiana Williams ] was there in the first quarter because I don't know how many we would have scored, but I respect that she hasn't played in the last couple games, and she came in fearless and ready to go... I respect tha t and that's hard. It's a hard job when you're not sure if you're going to play or not, and now you're in the rotation again, and to be ready and confident that's hard. .. It's one of those things whe re the back half of our bench in still in flux.
It's whoever's number is called needs to be ready. And I thought she was really good today and a difference maker."
Nneka Ogwumike
On the team keeping their energy consistent the whole game:
"I think today was kind of more of a mind over matter type of day. I don't want to use the schedule as an excuse. As pros, I've been doing this a long time. There's always a point in the season when the schedule gets like this, and so I think today was a bit more mind over matter. It took us a little bit of time to kind of get into the game, but I am happy that we didn't just acquiesce to the results of the first quarter. So, you really just kind of have to get that focus and lock in."
On attention to detail:
"I think [ Erica Wheeler ] put it best when we finished the game. She was saying that it's the small things... Everybody right now is in the thick of it in the season. So, when you're trying to put these games together, you really have to pay close attention to those details. I think a lot of those details showed up in that first quarter. I think we probably can all say that we would do that first quarter over, but with a team like that, you absolutely can't have multiple quarters -- even one quarter --playing that way."
Erica Wheeler
On maintaining resilience:
"We wake up to play the game that we love. Things happen, changes happen. At the end of the day, you got to move on from it and lock in on the people that's right next to you .. . that' s what we've been doing. I think we've been showing some tough shit. .. I think we've been showing that we're just happy to be here. This is a dream job. Even though it's hard, it's still a dream job.
I think everybody in that locker room knows that. W e're playing for the person that's next to us and also for our coach."
On the team's sisterhood:
"The season is only five months and it's almost like you gotta be family right away. You can't even leave a door open not to be, because we spend so much time with each other. So, it's a given. I think that with time and when you go through shit -- hard shit -- you become closer. You become a family. You become sisters because the person next to you is who [ you're] battling with and you gotta trust that they got your back, and it just forms like that."
NEXT: The Sparks host the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, August 11 at 7 p.m. PT at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 9, 2026
- Postgame Notes: Valkyries vs. Sparks - Los Angeles Sparks
- Golden State Postgame Notes: Valkyries 84, Sparks 78 - Golden State Valkyries
- Cecilia Zandalasini Makes Season-High Five 3-Pointers Without a Miss in Valkyries' Win over Sparks - Golden State Valkyries
- Golden State Valkyries Injury Update - Golden State Valkyries
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- Liberty Crush Short-Handed Aces - New York Liberty
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