Streaking Sparks defeat an Indiana Fever team missing Caitlin Clark

Yahoo

4 days ago

The Indiana Fever arrived in Los Angeles draped in momentum: Five straight wins, a knack for winning without Caitlin Clark and betting lines titling their way. Their tear was proof they could keep pace even with their franchise centerpiece in street clothes.
But another story line might've been tucked beneath Indiana's.
The Sparks had ripped off seven wins in their last eight outings, probably fueled by the rare luxury of having every piece of their roster back for the first time in more than a year. And by night's end at Crypto.com Arena, they had won eight of nine, the Sparks grinding out a 100-91 victory.
Sidelined since July 15 with a right groin injury, Clark never touched the hardwood Tuesday. But her presence was impossible to miss.
About an hour before tip‑off, Clark entered the arena to a wave of shrieks. Fans crammed shoulder‑to‑shoulder against the banisters and security barricades, stretching jerseys, bobbleheads and posters toward her for autographs. But once the ball went up, Clark left her imprint not in ink but as an assistant coach to her Fever squad.
For all of Clark's fire from the bench, the Sparks (13-15) seized on her absence to wrestle control away from one of the league's hottest teams and move closer to a playoff berth.
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts, who has spent much of the season juggling lineups amid injuries and roster turnover, can finally exhale, with a healthy starting five, Cameron Brink back in uniform and a bench ready to contribute.
With stable rotations came steady results. The Sparks' scoring core — Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum with 25 apiece, Dearica Hamby with 16, and Azurá Stevens with 19 — carried the load, while Julie Allemand ran the show with seven assists to go with five points and eight rebounds.
Midway through the first quarter, Brink checked in, snagged a couple of boards, and promptly stuffed 6‑foot‑2 Natasha Howard for the first of five rejections she'd tally on the night.
After Rae Burrell spun in an acrobatic layup to put the Sparks ahead 32‑30, they never loosened their grip, stretching the margin all the way to 90‑68 by the midpoint of the third quarter. But Aari McDonald and Kelsey Mitchell sparked a 21‑5 run that, suddenly, had the game uncomfortably tight with under two minutes remaining.
But in a building where wins have been scarce, the Sparks clutched this one tight and handed it back to the L.A. faithful.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.