Rae Burrell scores 20 as Sparks beat Sun, end 6-game losing streak
Rae Burrell scored 20 points and the Sparks ended a six-game losing streak with a 77-68 win over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night.
Nneka Ogwumike, who announced Wednesday she will retire at the end of the season, had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Sparks (13-24), her 131st career double-double. Erica Wheeler also had 11 points and Dearica Hamby had 10.
Saniya Rivers scored 14 points off the bench to lead the Sun (9-27), who were without Brittney Griner (knee) and Aaliyah Edwards (ankle). Leila Lacan added 13 points and Kennedy Burke 10.
The Sparks, which has given up an average of 93.6 points a game, held the league’s worst offense to 11 points below its average after surrendering 124 points to Atlanta on Thursday. The Sparks did that despite giving up 30 points on 25 turnovers.
A three-pointer from Wheeler at 6:12 of the fourth quarter produced a 77-55 lead but the Sun reeled off 13 straight for a single-digit deficit with less than two minutes to go but missed their last five shots.
The Sparks led 44-36 at halftime.
Connecticut hit four of 16 shots while the Sparks rebounded to make nine of 12 shots in the third quarter to boost their lead to 66-46.
Hamby was ejected early in the fourth quarter when she flung her right hand back while boxing out Raegan Beers, smacking her in the jaw. No foul was called as Beers went down, but as she went to the locker room the play was reviewed. Beers was given a loose ball foul while Hamby received a flagrant 2 foul for unnecessary and excessive contact.
Up next for the Sparks: Game three in a four-game home stand Monday against Atlanta.