LOS ANGELES — Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said she was prepared for a high-scoring affair against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night.
The Sparks trailed by as many as 21 points in the second half but cut the Fever’s lead to 83-76 with 1:23 to go. Kelsey Plum’s corner 3-point attempt, which would have made it a two-possession game, rimmed out with 56 seconds left and Indiana handed the Sparks an 87-78 loss at Crypto.com Arena.
“We’re not afraid to get into a high-scoring game,” Roberts said before the game, “but we’ve got to be better defensively at all facets and the players know it.”
The Sparks had a poor shooting night from 3-point range and could not keep up with the Fever’s offense, led by All-Stars Caitlin Clark (24 points, nine assists) and Kelsey Mitchell (23 points).
Plum scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting for the Sparks (0-2), who shot 2 for 15 from behind the arc. Dearica Hamby scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, while Cameron Brink had 11 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots off the bench. Nneka Ogwumike and Rae Burrell each scored 10 points.
Sparks guard Ariel Atkins, acquired in the trade that sent Rickea Jackson to Chicago last month, suffered a head injury in the third quarter and did not return. She finished with two points in 16 minutes.
Indiana (1-1) shot 56% from the field in the first half, going 19 for 34.
Clark was hot early, scoring Indiana’s first five points.
“Caitlin is one of one, too,” Roberts explained. “She is unique in that when the ball crosses halfcourt, it’s in the scoring zone. We have our hands full.”
Brink’s blocked shot against Clark late in the first quarter energized the crowd and her teammates. She later defended Fever center Aliyah Boston well on the low block and helped hold her scoreless in the first half.
“Cam’s good,” Roberts said before the game. “She’s fine. My charge to her is to drown out the noise.”
The Sparks trailed just 24-20 at the end of the first quarter and pulled within 29-26 on a Hamby layup with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter. But the Fever scored the next nine points as part of a 19-8 run to finish the half, taking a 48-34 lead to the locker room at the break. Mitchell did not miss a shot in the quarter, draining all three of her 3-point tries as well as a step-back jumper.
The Sparks trailed 68-52 heading into the fourth.
Clark’s only 3-point basket of the night, in seven attempts, came with 4:51 left in the fourth to extend Indiana’s lead to 78-63. The Sparks went on an 11-3 run, capped by a shot in the lane from Plum to get within 83-76 with 1:23 left. After a Fever turnover, Plum missed her open 3-point try from the corner. Clark – who had nine points in the fourth – then found Mitchell on an inbounds pass for a layup to give Indiana an 85-76 lead with 33.2 left.
Second-year Fever coach Stephanie White said her team’s backcourt chemistry remains a work in progress.
“It’s still growing,” White said. “When you think about Caitlin and Aliyah, they really had a natural symmetry with the point guard and post player. With Caitlin and Kelsey, it’s trying to figure out how you’ve got two ball-dominant players that can get their shots. I thought their Year 1 together, they figured it out.”
Sophie Cunningham added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Monique Billings had nine points and eight rebounds in her regular-season debut for Indiana (1-1). Boston had four points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 3:32 left in the fourth.
NOT AVAILABLE
Forward Sania Feagin, the Sparks’ second-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, was ruled out with a leg injury and did not play against Indiana.
Sparks guard Kate Martin, who signed a developmental contract before Sunday’s season opener after being waived by Golden State on May 7, was not called up to the active roster. She said she’s been healthy for more than a week but is still working on getting back into game shape.
“I think my role right now is to be the best development player I can possibly be,” Martin said. “Get in extra workouts. Be a great teammate. Do whatever the team needs me to do. Be a great hype woman on the bench. That’s my role tonight. We’re still learning what the development role entails, but as of now, it’s to be where my feet are. Buy-in to being an L.A. Spark and give it all I’ve got.”
UP NEXT
The Sparks will conclude a four-game homestand with consecutive against the expansion Toronto Tempo (1-1) on Friday and Sunday.
LA Sparks guard Kate Martin said she’s trying to be the best developmental player she can be.
Martin said she’s not expecting to play in tonight’s home game against the Indiana Fever. pic.twitter.com/JgbFtpRhZO
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 14, 2026
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts’ pregame media conference on Cameron Brink’s confidence, Nneka Ogwumike’s leadership and guard Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. pic.twitter.com/vw8SgcL1Y2
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 14, 2026
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White says Caitlin Clark will not have a minutes restriction against the Los Angeles Sparks. Coach White says Aliyah Boston will play between 25-30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/MY1kOeAJ0d
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 14, 2026