Sparks go quietly in loud loss to first-place Lynx

The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 91-82 at Crypto.com Arena on Kids Day, creating an exceptionally loud atmosphere dominated by children's screams. Despite the Sparks riding the loud support to an early 16-0 run in the first quarter, they trailed by 21 points by the end of the third quarter. A subsequent 17-0 Sparks run wasn't enough to overcome the deficit.

A key factor in the loss was the Sparks committing 22 turnovers compared to the Lynx's 10, leading to 23 points off turnovers and 22 more shot attempts for Minnesota. Combined with the Lynx's top-rated defense under Coach Cheryl Reeve, this proved insurmountable for the Sparks. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts praised Minnesota as a disciplined "machine" and Reeve as the league's "matriarch," while guard Kelsey Plum acknowledged the difficulty of giving the best team easy scoring opportunities.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier, the WNBA's leading scorer (23.9 ppg) whose team leads the league at 18-3, led her team onto the court following her All-Star selection (she and teammate Courtney Williams will participate). However, guard Natisha Hiedeman powered the Lynx in the first half, scoring 16 of her 18 points. Hiedeman benefited from the Sparks double- and triple-teaming Collier in the paint, hitting two first-quarter 3-pointers on kick-out passes.