Lynne Roberts reveals silver lining after Sparks loss to Liberty

LOS ANGELES – It was one of their most cohesive games all season, but it wasn’t enough as the Los Angeles Sparks fell, 113-109 to the visiting New York Liberty on Tuesday. On a night in which franchise legend DeLisha Milton-Jones had her jersey retired, the Sparks couldn’t keep the festive mood rolling as the Liberty took control in the fourth quarter. But for Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, the loss didn’t feel like most other losses this season.

Instead, the Sparks showed resolve. They showed fight and they showed togetherness and chemistry that’s been absent for a good portion of this season. They displayed winning habits, leaving Lynne Roberts a little less frustrated postgame than she’s been after a Sparks’ loss this year.

“I think we played well. We had 30 points off 18 turnovers. We were active, we were connected. Good offense beats good defense. There were some mistakes. Obviously we’re not going to play perfect, neither did they. We made more field goals than them … I’m proud of the team,” Roberts said during her postgame press conference. “It’s not moral victories, but we can build on that. We had 35 assists. That’s a franchise record. We’re playing the right way … that’s winning basketball. We didn’t get thr reward of the win but I am proud of the team.”

With the loss, the Sparks dropped to 10-17 on the season. Going back before the All-Star break, the Sparks have now lost six consecutive games. With each passing day, the team’s hopes for mounting a second-half surge and a potential playoff appearance slowly slip away.

To complicate matters, the Sparks are still without All-Star guard Kelsey Plum who has been sidelined for the last 12 games due to what’s only being described as a lower leg injury. In the midst of her injury recovery, Plum’s name has come up in trade rumors as a recent report suggested that she wouldn’t re-sign with the Sparks in the offseason.

But aside from the potential distractions, the players in the locker room and on the court remain connected and remain convinced that they can right the ship before it’s too late. As one of the leaders on the team, Erica Wheeler believes the Sparks are literally knocking on the door.

“[We’re] very close. Coach just said it in the locker room. No moral victories but it’s a lot of good that we can take from this game. I think our pace was great. Our execution was probably the best we’ve had in a long time,” Wheeler said during her postgame press conference.

The Sparks will now head out on three-game road trip, beginning with the Portland Fire on Sunday, and then back-to-back games against the Chicago Sky and then Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6. They now sit a full five games behind the Washington Mystics for the eighth and final playoff spot with 17 games remaining in the regular season.

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