The suggestion that Pebley’s removal was a sign that the team is performing poorly didn’t sit well with coach Lynne Roberts.
“I don’t think we underachieved last year and this year is still going,” Roberts said in Atlanta on Monday before the team’s loss to the Dream. “For where we want to get, that’s not where we want to be, but we tripled our win total in my first year — that’s not underachieving. We haven’t hit our stride, we’ve been injured all year. Hopefully we get [Kelsey Plum] and Cam [Brink] back. Our system is designed around KP. I’m not close to thinking we are underachieving.”
The Sparks’ Rae Burrell protects the ball under pressure the Chicago Sky’s Natasha Cloud at Crypto.com Arena on July 10.
(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)
They are still in the playoff race midway through the season, but have the second-worst defensive rating in the WNBA and sit a game below the postseason cutoff line.
They have competed without Plum, their top scorer, for 12 games and former No. 2 overall pick Brink during the past nine contests.
But even with their struggles, culminating in an 82-64 loss to Seattle on July 6, the Sparks responded well with consecutive home wins against Indiana and Chicago. After those games, Roberts seemed to think the team was moving in the right direction, but team owners made a major change.
The Sparks have a decision to make about how hard they want to push the rest of this season as the team flirts with missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. With the trade deadline on Aug. 2, they could make some moves to improve this season or sell off their veteran assets and attempt to rebuild again.
The Sparks haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and have made some controversial moves while trying to snap out of the slump.
In addition to the questionable trade of 2024 fourth overall pick Rickea Jackson to Chicago for veteran Atkins this offseason, Pebley traded the picks that would become Storm post duo Awa Fam and Dominique Malonga for Plum and Kia Nurse. In her sole season with the Sparks, Nurse averaged 7.6 points per game.
Pebley also traded the No. 8 pick in 2024 (that later was used to draft Alissa Pili) to Chicago for Julie Allemand and Li Yueru, then lost Allemand in the expansion draft. Yueru was sent to Seattle in the Plum trade and is now playing with Dallas. The Sparks’ 2025 first-round draft pick Sarah Ashlee Barker was left unprotected and went to Portland in the expansion draft.
The Sparks waived their top pick in this year’s draft, Ta’Niya Latson, after barely playing, and she has gone on to join Las Vegas. Sania Feagin, a 2025 first-round draft pick, was waived and signed with Portland.
Most of those moves, though, came after the Sparks lost the top spot in the 2025 draft lottery to Dallas, which selected Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick. Before the lottery result, it seemed like the Sparks — who went 8-32 in 2024 before that draft — were lining up for a youth movement led by Brink and Bueckers. A lineup of those three, a healthy Feagin, Barker and Allemand would be an entirely different kind of team.
Once that failed, they focused on adding veterans who could win now and have only managed modest improvement.
The Sparks have their next two first-round draft picks and four players still on rookie contracts after this season (Brink, Chance Gray, Kate Martin and Pili). Brink is their lone lottery pick left from their disappointing past six seasons. (Pili was a top-10 pick, but she has struggled to stay on a WNBA roster and just signed a player developmental contract with the Sparks this month.)
Pebley told The Times in an interview on Friday that she was open to making moves to compete at the deadline this year.
Players on the Sparks’ bench celebrate during a win over the Chicago Sky at Crypto.com Arena on July 10.
(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)
“We are in a space where we are here to win,” she said. “This is a city that wants to win. We have an ownership that wants to win. You see what they’re doing with the Lakers. You see what they’ve done already with the Dodgers. … We have to always continue to invest in the roster. We have a responsibility to always listen and be aware of what’s out there.”
A league source not authorized to discuss trade conversations publicly told The Times that Pebley had been aggressive ahead of the deadline, and now teams are unsure what approach the Sparks will take moving forward.
“I found out when everybody else did,” Roberts said of Pebley’s firing. “It was a surprise. She’s a good friend of mine. I think the tone is set that we need to keep building and get the Sparks back to where they have been. That’s been the tone. Raegan did some great things for our org in that regard and improved a lot of things. That work can’t go undenied. It’s full-steam ahead and I’m focused on what I can do.”
It would be difficult to move some of their heftier contracts, especially since WNBA teams cannot take on more salary than their remaining cap space allows in a trade. Hamby, 32, is signed for two more years for more than $1 million per season. Atkins is also signed for two years at $1 million-plus and is having a career-worst offensive season, shooting 36.4% with 8.7 points per game.
Wheeler, 35, has another year left on her deal, but a $625,000 cap hit for a player who would be a backup point guard on most teams is a tough sell.
Plum and Ogwumike are on expiring deals, and the Sparks’ most valuable roster asset, Rae Burrell, is a restricted free agent, but one of the few young players left on the Sparks’ roster.
The Sparks have a limited $86,000 in cap space, too, so if they decide they want to buy at the deadline, they have to find a way to clear space.
They enter the trade deadline period in a difficult spot as a team in purgatory that just fired its general manager.
Yet what they decide to do in the next month might be the most clearest sign of their ambition and hope for the future.
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Angel Reese had 23 points and 13 rebounds for her WNBA-leading 16th double-double of the season, Allisha Gray added 20 points, and the Atlanta Dream beat the Sparks 101-92 on Monday night.
Gray made Atlanta’s first field goal of the fourth quarter with 4:07 remaining to tie it at 87. Then, Reese got a friendly roll on her third made three-pointer of the season to make it 90-87 and she added two free throws on the next possession for a five-point lead. Jordin Canada capped the 9-0 run for a 94-87 lead.
Canada finished with 16 points and Rhyne Howard added 11 for Atlanta (14-10), which had lost six of its last seven games. Reese, who missed Saturday’s game against Portland, was seven for 11 from the field and made all eight of her free throws in 32 minutes.
The Sparks’ ownership made a major shift in direction on Sunday, firing general manager Raegan Pebley amid a lackluster season that has the team just below the WNBA playoff cutoff line and far from the title-contending form Pebley promised.
Assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen will split interim GM duties, the team announced.
“We are grateful to Raegan for her leadership and commitment to the Los Angeles Sparks and women’s basketball,” Sparks managing partner and governor Eric Holoman said in a statement. “Her work on the Sparks roster and player experience will have a lasting positive impact on our organization. We sincerely thank her for all she has invested in the Sparks and wish her success in her next chapter.”
The Sparks (10-11) sit in ninth place in the WNBA standings, one removed from the last playoff spot. The team is coming off back-to-back wins over the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, which followed a three-game losing streak.
“There is a united vision from ownership to leadership, and then I think it’s discipline,” Pebley told The Times in an interview before Friday’s game. “I think you can make a lot of mistakes if you use recency bias, and if you become really reactionary. We want to respond to the things that we’re seeing that we want to grow in, but we don’t want to just demonstrate a lack of discipline and quickly react that way.”
The Sparks have won three WNBA titles, the most recent in 2016, but the franchise has not made the playoffs since 2020.
Leading scorer Kelsey Plum has missed two long stretches because of injuries, but the biggest headache for the team for much of the season has been its poor defense.
Under Pebley’s direction, the Sparks hired coach Lynne Roberts and acquired Plum and Nneka Ogwumike, a former most valuable player with the team. Roberts, however, had been the coach at the University of Utah and had no WNBA experience. Despite the team’s struggles, Pebley gave Roberts a vote of confidence on Friday.
Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley, left, speaks during a news conference introducing new guard Kelsey Plum, center. They are joined by Sparks coach Lynne Roberts.
(Ringo Chiu/For The Los Angeles Times)
“She has been all we were looking for and more,” Pebley said. “We wanted someone who had that emotional regulation; she stays neutral. I think the days of a tyrant head coach are over.”
“Loved having her here … she’ll be successful wherever she goes,” Pebley said of Jackson shortly after the trade. “But we’re focused on winning a championship and finding that fit and balance and getting all those pieces locked in with each other.”
Pebley’s other moves included trading the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, which became Seattle center Dominique Malonga, for Plum, and trading the Sparks’ first-round pick this year, which became third overall selection Awa Fam, for Kia Nurse and the No. 4 pick in 2024, which the Sparks used to select Jackson.
Instead of demonstrating marked improvement, the Sparks have struggled with consistency, at times showing their potential, as in a win at Las Vegas, a dramatic come-from-behind win against New York on the league’s 30th anniversary and a defensive shutdown of Fever guard Caitlin Clark last week.
With the trade deadline less than a month away, Pebley had expressed excitement about the return of Plum and Cameron Brink.
“Knowing those two are going to be added into a group that’s continued to be able to get better in their absence,” she said, “I think we have a right to be optimistic.”
The franchise found itself in the middle of some controversy with reports that the Sparks were among more than half the players in the league who did not complete their All-Star starter ballots. The ballots were emailed to players, but they reportedly did not see them in time to vote. Plum was not named a starter despite leading the WNBA in scoring at the time votes were cast, although it’s unclear whether full player participation would have altered a decision calculated by combining player, fan and media votes.
“That’s something we take responsibility for as an organization, and we’ll have a more robust process going forward,” the Sparks said in a statement.
Soon afterward, the Sparks’ director of communications left the team.
The Sparks hired Pebley in January 2024 to help the former WNBA champions break out of their playoff drought.
A third-round pick by the Utah Starzz in the WNBA’s inaugural 1997 draft, Pebley was the coach at Utah State (2005 to 2012) and Fresno State (2012 to 2014) before a nine-year stint at Texas Christian, where she led the Horned Frogs to four WNIT appearances in her first five years before stepping down in 2023 as TCU finished 8-23. She was a TV analyst for the Dallas Wings from 2016 to 2023.
It was never actually in doubt. Dearica Hamby was going to stay a member of the Sparks. That was just how she worked.
Even when Nneka Ogwumike came into the fold and the frontcourt became crowded, Hamby didn’t doubt her decision to return to the organization that traded for her four years ago.
Loyalty mattered more than anything else.
“That’s who I am,” she said. “I don’t run away from things. I wanted to stay here and help L.A. get back to where it was and is capable of being.”
In a loaded frontcourt, the 32-year-old Hamby has still found ways to shine. Hamby has led the Sparks in scoring four times and led or tied for rebounding 16 times this season after signing a three-year, $3.5-million contract.
She ranks in the top 20 in the league in rebounds and field-goal percentage (plus 25th in scoring) and is eighth in offensive rebounds in establishing herself as an essential piece to the Sparks’ “win now” attempt.
“I think it’s the challenge, because we are so good and we have so much talent,” said Hamby, who is averaging 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 52.8% from the field. “You’re forced to produce, but it’s also a blessing. I know it’s probably hard for coach to manage the three’s playing time and stuff like that, but it’s a beautiful problem.”
Hamby was in the headlines when the Aces traded her after she was pregnant. In September of that year, she filed a federal discrimination complaint against the team and league, claiming she was traded because she was pregnant. The two sides resolved matters before trial.
The new CBA this year created a new rule that requires a pregnant player’s consent to be traded.
“I feel like she’s such an anomaly,” said forward Rae Burrell. “I remember when she had her son, and it was crazy because everybody was saying she was coming back so early, I thought that was insane, but now being her teammate, I see it, she’s just kind of a freak of nature, like she’s so athletic, she can do all types of things on the court that you think looks unorthodox, but she makes it happen, but also just love being her teammate. She’s just good people.”
Since that trade, she has been a regular in the Sparks’ starting lineup while averaging double-digit scoring and around eight rebounds per game. She’s one of the most efficient scorers in the league, too.
But Hamby’s games have been all over the board. Against the Aces, she missed all seven of her shots. Against Dallas and Indiana, she made six of eight shots. She’s had eight games with a shooting percentage above 60% and four games under 40%.
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, left, tries to steal the ball from Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner during a game in Phoenix.
(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Having the three frontcourt players has been an adjustment for coach Lynne Roberts to find how to implement them all in the offense.
“I’m trying to implement the new offense, we’re plugging pieces into play, and things that I may have been able to do last year as freely I’m not as able to do this year,” Hamby said. “So just adjusting for sure, but I think that’s across the board for everybody.”
Before the season, Roberts said that Cameron Brink would come off the bench and Hamby would start. Brink, the only natural center on the team, averages just 17.5 minutes per game primarily because of her 3.7 fouls.
“She’s my vet,” Brink said of Hamby. “I think she’s just such a grounding force for us, and she’s someone that does everything, so I just really feel like I learn from her every day, and I’m just very thankful to be in her presence.”
Hamby averages 3.2 fouls per game and has expressed frustration about the new officiating norms this season, but has avoided true foul trouble. She and Ogwumike work as two fours instead of a team with a traditional five.
“She has a lot of energy,” Ogwumike said. “I think she does a really good job of just having a high motor and going out there and kind of like doing the dirty work. I feel like it’s beneficial to have a loaded frontcourt, to be able to have so many different types of players and a depth where anytime one of us is in, there’s no letdown.”
The Sparks have been the worst defensive team in the league this season and struggled to score when point guard Kelsey Plum was out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Ogwumike might be the other veteran leader, but Hamby has stayed with this Sparks team the past two seasons while Ogwumike was in Seattle.
Now her role has changed, even with that loyalty. She’s playing just over a minute less and they’re asking for better defense and efficiency.
Hamby chose to come back. Now she’s choosing to help build the Sparks up.
“I know my usage is a lot lower,” Hamby said. “A goal of mine the last two seasons was to have those numbers, so to have the same numbers just at a more efficient rate, and so I mean offensively, but with like two fewer shots a game, that’s pretty impressive.”
Jackson didn’t get a chance for revenge after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in May, making the Sparks’ 102-87 win at Crypto.com Arena not a true litmus test. Veteran guard Ariel Atkins, who was shipped out of Chicago in the Jackson deal, had her best game with the Sparks, finishing with a season-high 17 points.
The Sparks showcased their potential en route to their second straight win, even with All-Star Kelsey Plum (lower left leg) and Cameron Brink (left ankle) out. Nneka Ogwumike, the Sparks’ other All-Star, posted 25 points and 12 rebounds, Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell both scored 17, and Erica Wheeler had 15 points and eight assists.
“The ball’s got to move,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “It can’t be a lot of one on one. And that’s what happens when you have 32 assists, the ball’s moving. So it’s just the continued emphasis of ball movement, player movement, getting those high-quality shots, and we’ve got players that are going to make them for percentage.”
Still a game under .500, the Sparks (10-11) have a long way to go to be considered serious postseason contenders. Chicago also has struggled mightily outside of a win against Phoenix this week and has been engulfed in drama around veteran guard Skylar Diggins, who sat out because of a knee injury.
“After the game on Monday, I think there was just kind of like an ‘enough’ mentality, and we all felt it,” Roberts said. “We all kind of just said, ‘enough.’ That doesn’t mean that we’re going to go undefeated the rest of the way, but we play like that. We give ourselves a chance in every game.”
For the second straight game, all five starters scored in double digits. Hamby had a late backhanded layup over 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso to help close out the win.
Brought in to be Plum’s partner in the backcourt, Atkins has had an inconsistent offensive season, with career-low scoring and shooting numbers. Against her former squad, she showed why the Sparks wanted her, and why they need her to produce with Plum out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.
“It feels good to see shots go in,” Atkins said. “My biggest thing is that it feels good when we all feel good too. When they lead to wins, it makes it even better.”
After the Sparks opened up a 16-8 lead, Chicago (7-15) stormed back to keep it tight throughout the second quarter. The Sparks led 73-70 after three quarters before pulling away late.
Ogwumike made three three-pointers in the fourth to carry the Sparks across the finish line.
“Just to have that poise, like we haven’t shown that in a very long time,” Wheeler said. “So for us to display that tonight, like that should be the standard, and it felt good to have that poise.”
The Sparks scored 25 points off 15 Sky turnovers. They shot 51% from the field.
Ball movement has been emphasized all season, “so it’s good that we’re starting to figure it out,” Roberts said. “When you look at the assists, it wasn’t like one person had 16 or something, right? So it’s balanced. The ball’s moving. There’s [the thought of] ‘we need to get the win,’ not ‘I need to get the bucket.’ And I think that’s the mentality of great teams.”
Veteran forward Emma Cannon played 12 minutes and scored nine points as a key post presence late when Cardoso was in foul trouble.
Ogwumike moved into fifth on the Sparks’ all-time assists list with her third helper in the first quarter, passing Mwadi Mabika.
The Sparks are half a game outside the final playoff spot, not bad given how poor some of their performances have been. They head to Atlanta (13-9) to face a slumping Dream squad on Monday as they try to win three consecutive games for the third time this season.
“It took us a bit with KP out to figure out kind of how we can still flow,” Roberts said. “I think we’ve figured it out.”
Palm Beach International Airport has officially been renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport, with new signage installed throughout the terminal. The move has prompted mixed reactions, with supporters welcoming the tribute while critics argued it was ‘in poor taste.’
For the first time in more than two weeks, the Sparks won a game.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points with eight rebounds, Rae Burrell added 22 points and Dearica Hamby had 21 in what felt like a near must-win game against Indiana on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak, 106-92.
“I think people were tired of how we were losing,” Ogwumike said. “Not just losing, but how we were losing, and we knew that there was more that we could give. … I think we all individually held ourselves accountable to be able to do more, to pour more into what we got going on. I took it upon myself to try my best to like, you know, play harder in possessions.”
The Fever committed 17 turnovers, which the Sparks (9-11) converted into 22 points, and All-Star Caitlin Clark scored her second-fewest points this season with just nine in limited minutes while returning from injury. Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points for the Fever, but the Sparks seemed to have an offensive answer each time.
Indiana (12-9) was without star center Aliyah Boston (lower right leg), who Fever coach Stephanie White said would play in the second game of a back-to-back set Thursday in Phoenix. Clark, in and out of the lineup because of a back injury all season, never got going and was an abysmal minus-16.
Coming off an 18-point loss to Seattle at home on Monday, Ogwumike said that injured All-Star guard Kelsey Plum gave the team an inspired speech Tuesday.
“Everyone had a little bit of feedback that she gave, both encouragement and also points of improvement for each person, and I think it was received,” Ogwumike said. “It was received in a way that not only did we want to change how we, you know, approach today, but also to familiarize ourselves with sustaining the way that this feels moving forward.”
“KP lit a fire under our ass,” Burrell added.
All five Sparks starters scored in double digits, and the 106 points were the most the franchise has scored in a home game.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever talks with teammates during the second quarter.
(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
“I’m happy we won, obviously, but I’m more happy with how we played,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “The response that we showed from just laying an egg on Monday to coming back and, you know, we talked about playing more connected, having a little more smarts out there, defensively emptying the tank, getting out and running and playing with pace.”
The Sparks rode a 16-2 run midway through the second quarter to lead by as many as eight before the half.
They didn’t slow down going into the third frame, opening with 18 points in the first five minutes to take a 13-point lead. Burrell and Kiana Williams hit consecutive threes late in the third after the Fever cut the lead to eight points, and it was never close again.
Plum (lower left leg) and center Cameron Brink (left ankle) remained out of the lineup, and the Sparks extended their bench to give significant minutes to Alissa Pili, Jihyun Park and Williams.
Pili, signed to a developmental deal this week, scored four points with five rebounds in her first WNBA action since last September because of a right ankle injury.
Wednesday’s win also snapped a three-game losing streak to the Fever dating to last season.
The Sparks will complete their three-game homestand against Chicago (7-14) on Friday.
“We wanted to play harder,” Ogwumike said. “We wanted to own each possession and to compete at every level for the full 40 minutes of play. It’s really that simple. I think when you put your heart into playing that hard, the schemes, the plays, the execution, it comes to fruition. And tonight, it felt good. It felt good emptying the tank.”
Caitlin Clark will be in the lineup when the Indiana Fever face the Sparks at Crypto.com Arena after a week-plus of discourse around the star player.
Clark, who has had season-long back problems, did not play on Sunday in Las Vegas. Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark would play on Wednesday against the Sparks.
Earlier in the day, a dozen Republican lawmakers announced they sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert arguing the league has failed to adequately protect Clark from physical play.
“Unfortunately, what they too often witness is not simply aggressive competition, but repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence,” the lawmakers wrote. “Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games. These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable.”
When asked about the letter after their shootaround in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, White stepped aside for team spokesperson Jackie Maynard to read a statement:
“Our organization, nor Caitlin, have had any interaction with anyone in the congressional group and were unaware of their letter. We have been clear in our public comments and in our ongoing dialogue with the league about the priority of player safety. Our players and our fans know where we stand on these issues and continue to stick up for our team and a standard of excellence across the league.”
Alyssa Thomas was given a flagrant foul 2 penalty, fined $1,000 and suspended one game at the start of July for pushing her right fist into Clark’s throat when they both fell on the court during the Mercury’s 111-109 win on June 24 in Indianapolis.
It was originally not called a foul, and a still image of Thomas’ hand in Clark’s throat went viral on social media and stirred up discourse among those in and out of the basketball world.
In the aftermath, Thomas said she got several online attacks, some of which are “threatening our lives.”
White denounced “unacceptable” online behavior from fans last week, and Clark followed up by saying, “I don’t want anyone to ever experience that.”
The letter was led by Texas congressman August Pfluger, chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
“As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation,” the lawmakers wrote. “If discrimination or retaliation is occurring and creating a hostile work environment, we support any appropriate investigation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If true, such conduct could constitute violations of federal civil rights laws.”
The letter finished with three questions for Engelbert, which it demanded the commissioner respond to by July 24. What is your review mechanism for physical hostility and violence on the court? How will you hold players accountable for overly aggressive actions on the court, including towards Caitlin Clark? What steps are you taking to protect WNBA players from online harassment and off-the-court threats?
Conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted the letter and her support of it on social media, which showed signatures from Iowa lawmaker Zach Nunn and Indiana representatives Marlin Stutzman and Victoria Spartz.
White said that Clark would not play on Thursday night in Phoenix, rotating her with star center Aliyah Boston to manage both of their workloads on the team’s first set of back-to-back games.
Forty-nine seconds. That’s all it took for the Seattle Storm’s Flau’jae Johnson to fire off a 27-foot three-point jumper to take the lead. In less than a minute, she sank the Sparks’ hopes of beating one of the worst teams in the WNBA, leaving 39 more minutes for the Sparks to consider just how the team got there.
Johnson, already the main act in Seattle, bolstered her WNBA Rookie of the Year case by scoring 23 points as the Storm defeated the Sparks 82-64 Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Each time the Storm drove down the court, there was Johnson, her ponytail fluttering as she skirted around the arc before driving into the paint, nonchalantly tossing up layups as if it was still shootaround. Not even the relentless defense chants summoned from the Sparks’ MCs stopped her.
“I don’t know,” coach Lynne Roberts said after the game. “We just weren’t good offensively.”
And while her teammates supplied Johnson with enough passes to at one point secure a 13-point lead, the Sparks (8-11) lost because the team couldn’t build enough momentum.
In the end, Seattle outmaneuvered and outbodied the Sparks, snatching steals and flipping the ball around the perimeter until the Storm fired off a shot. Even when the ball bounced off the rim or backboard, Johnson or Storm center Dominique Malonga, who had nine rebounds, was there, hoisting the basketball away from the closest white jersey.
When asked how the team could’ve compensated defensively, Dearica Hamby kept it short: “Stop them from scoring.”
In comparison, the Sparks, without an offensive rebound until the end of the third quarter, were forced to make perfect shots, though that was far from the team’s grasp. Hamby, who went six for nine, led the team with 17 points, but even she couldn’t go toe-to-toe with Johnson alone. Worse, the Sparks’ abysmal 17.2 three-point percentage all but abandoned that avenue of attack, leaving the team to face Malonga in the paint.
“I’m not trying to let us off the hook at all, but sometimes you just have nights like that, and we all had them at the same time,” Roberts said. “Shooting 17% from three doesn’t help.”
The Sparks struggled to transition to the basket, giving up 19 turnovers resulting in 25 free baskets.
“I don’t think that there is a strong line of playing in transition,” Nneka Ogwumike said. “Sometimes we attribute taking an early shot to transition when in reality, if you’re taking an early, contested shot in transition, it’s probably not the most ideal shot.”
So as the Sparks fell further behind, the holes left by the injured Cameron Brink and Kelsey Plum widened.
In the Sparks’ previous matchup against the Storm a month ago, the two had totaled 34 points in the nail-biting 88-83 win. But in Monday’s game, the Sparks could only cling to the game with clenched fists as the gap widened.
“Credit them,” Roberts said. “They played hard and made shots. We missed them.”
By the end, the Sparks spent the game playing catch-up, never regaining the lead after surrendering it in the first 49 seconds to Johnson.
NEW YORK — More than half of the WNBA ‘s 180 players didn’t submit their ballots for All-Star starters ahead of this month’s game in Chicago, a person familiar with the balloting told the Associated Press on Friday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the voting. It’s unclear why so many players didn’t cast their votes. However, the Sparks were one of the teams that didn’t have all of its players vote due to some operational errors.
“Players were sent ballots via email,” the Sparks said in a statement. “Some players indicated that they didn’t receive the email or weren’t aware of it until after the voting period had closed. That’s something we take responsibility for as an organization, and we’ll have a more robust process going forward.”
Fan vote accounts for 50% of the overall vote while players and a media panel each are 25%. It’s been that way since 2017.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said her team has never had an issue getting players to submit their ballots.
“We always vote. But I do think especially if they’re weighed as much as they are, like teams should be making sure that their players are voting like it is important. There should never just be a team that like, doesn’t get the ballot. …That’s something that every player should be getting the opportunity. And if the player doesn’t want to vote, then that’s on them.”
The league announced the All-Star starters on Thursday.
ESPN was the first to report the lack of ballots.
Like the media, each player is given a link to a voting site as well as an individual username and password. Those are supplied by the league to the teams who distribute them to the players.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was lower in the player balloting than she was from the media and fans. She is second in the WNBA in scoring, but has only played in a dozen games because of injuries. She was 12th among players votes after ranking sixth by the fans and fifth by media.
She finished seventh in the voting overall for the guards. Even if the Sparks had all voted, it wouldn’t have been a guarantee that Plum moved up to the top four spots. In the past, players have said that they have either voted for their entire team on the ballot or for friends or college teammates, which has led to some skewed results. Some do take it seriously and pick who they think are the best players.
Fever star Caitlin Clark finished 11th in player balloting. She was named an All-Star starter because she placed second in the fan vote and third in the media rankings.
Negotiations are underway to reopen several Ugandan media outlets after the military ordered their closure, intensifying concerns over press freedom and political interference in the country’s media landscape. The shutdown, which targeted newspapers, television and radio stations owned by Kenya’s Nation Media Group, has drawn international criticism from human rights organisations and foreign lawmakers, adding to scrutiny of Uganda’s record on civil liberties.
The closures were ordered by Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said the outlets would remain shut without his approval but did not publicly explain the reasons for the decision.
The military’s decision forced several leading newspapers, television channels and radio stations to suspend operations, with security personnel preventing staff from accessing their offices. The disruption has affected one of East Africa’s largest independent media organisations and raised concerns over the military’s growing influence over civilian institutions.
Nation Media Group has confirmed that discussions are taking place with military authorities to restore operations. While negotiations are continuing at multiple levels, employees remain locked out of company premises, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for resuming normal broadcasting and publishing activities.
Stay ahead of the geopolitical week.
MD Briefing delivers expert analysis across five global fronts — the Indo-Pacific, energy, geoeconomics, European security, and the Middle East — every Monday morning. Free.
International criticism intensifies over press freedom
The shutdown has prompted strong condemnation from human rights organisations, which argue the move represents another attempt to suppress independent journalism. International observers have warned that restricting media operations undermines freedom of expression and weakens democratic accountability in Uganda.
Political spotlight falls on Muhoozi Kainerugaba
The incident has further focused attention on military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has increasingly become a controversial political figure through his public statements and actions. Widely viewed as a potential successor to President Yoweri Museveni, Kainerugaba has faced repeated criticism over his treatment of political opponents, civil society groups and independent media.
Diplomatic pressure adds to domestic scrutiny
The media shutdown has also attracted international political attention, with senior US lawmakers calling for a review of Washington’s security relationship with Uganda. The episode risks increasing diplomatic pressure on Kampala over governance, human rights and the role of the military in restricting fundamental freedoms.
Future Outlook
The immediate focus will be on whether negotiations lead to the reopening of the affected media outlets and the restoration of normal operations. Beyond the current dispute, the incident is likely to intensify domestic and international scrutiny of Uganda’s commitment to press freedom, with potential implications for its diplomatic relationships, human rights record and political environment ahead of future leadership transitions.
A man named Daniel took to Twitter to share his frustration after a fellow passenger refused to swap seats with him so he could sit next to his girlfriend on their flight, sparking a viral plane passenger etiquette debate
The plane cabin can be a stressful place(Image: Getty Images/Stock Image)
What would you say if someone asked to swap seats with you on a flight?
It’s a difficult and touchy topic. We live in an age in which most people who fly will play the easyJet and Ryanair lottery, in which seats are allocated to them at random if they opt not to pay a hefty fee to choose where they sit.
That means that if you end up with a solid spot on a flight, you’ve either forked out for it or your lucky numbers have come in.
Tensions rose on a recent flight over seats, and specifically, whether it is acceptable to ask somebody to swap with you. It all kicked off when one man took to Twitter to vent his frustration after a fellow passenger refused to exchange seats with him so he could sit alongside his girlfriend.
Their reason for declining? They simply wanted to enjoy the window view.
But who was in the right here, and who was in the wrong?
In his tweet, the man, named Daniel, wrote: “A boomer refused to swap seats on a flight this morning to let my gf and I sit together on the last day before we’re apart for 2.5 months – because they wanted to look out the window. Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane.”
Hundreds liked his post, yet more than 200 people waded in with their opinions in the comments section.
One user branded him an “entitled brat” saying: “Did you stomp your feet like the spoiled, entitled brat you come across as???”
Another fired back: “Your lack of planning is nobody else’s problem.” A third chimed in: “Your petty complaint has no merit and naming him reflects very much on you, not the boomer.”
A fourth person argued that the poster could have taken steps to avoid the situation unfolding. “There are so many steps you could have taken prior to boarding to ensure you sat next to her if you felt it that important. You put yourself in that situation, not the boomer,” they wrote. Some users noted that it was difficult to fully assess the situation without knowing what the other passenger was thinking or going through at the time.
Following the wave of criticism, Daniel decided to launch a poll to settle the debate once and for all. He asked followers to vote on whether or not it’s acceptable to request a seat swap on a plane.
The final results revealed that 64 percent of those who participated considered it a “reasonable request”, while 36 percent felt you’d be pushing your luck by doing so.
Do you think it’s unreasonable to ask someone to swap seats with you on a plane? Let us know in the comments below.
The 10-time WNBA All-Star and Sparks forward hit a buzzer-beating three-point shot to give the Sparks an electric 98-97 come-from-behind win over the New York Liberty on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
In a rematch of the WNBA’s first-ever game from June 21, 1997, the Sparks overcame a 17-point Liberty lead, all while celebrating the inaugural matchup — and iconic alumni — that changed women’s sports forever.
Ogwumike led the way with a game-high 24 points on 11 of 18 shooting while the rest of the starting lineup — Dearica Hamby, Erica Wheeler, Kelsey Plum and Ariel Atkins — all finished in double figures. Guard Rae Burrell also scored 19 off the bench.
Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts spoke highly of her team’s locker room pregame, even as L.A. entered riding a two-game losing streak. But the Sparks continued to fight, as Roberts expected, ultimately beating the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference.
“I think it’s good,” Roberts said. “I wish we were fully healthy. Not having [Cameron Brink] is a big loss, or an impactful absence. But we got [Kelsey Plum]. And obviously, as you guys know, she’s the head of the snake. So that gives us, the whole group, a little more confidence … a little swagger, maybe that’s the right word.
“But the mood is good. We’ve had some great wins and some tough losses … it’s the process. You have to stay present and not freak out or panic … We’ve got great people in that locker room.”
Without Brink, who remains out after suffering an ankle sprain against Golden State, the Sparks were glad to have Plum back. L.A. entered with a 6-0 record in games in which Plum recorded six-plus assists, and the four-time WNBA All-Star, in her return from a one-game absence due to a leg injury, finished with seven to go with 12 points.
New York led for most of the night despite a cold game from guard Sabrina Ionescu, who finished with a quiet two points. The rest of the Liberty’s starting five — Breanna Stewart, Satou Sabally, Leonie Fiebich and Jonquel Jones — delivered, though, with a combined 63 points.
“Well, they’re big,” Roberts said pregame of the Liberty. “I think the unique thing is New York is huge all the way across, and so that enables them to do some things that are unique. I think the other thing they’re doing is putting [Jones] and Stewie in kind of lead guard positions. … They’ve got Hall of Famers over there. It’s a talented roster, which presents problems in and of itself, but they’re a good team.”
However, after a halftime break honoring Sparks and Liberty legends like Lisa Leslie and Teresa Weatherspoon, among many others at half court, L.A. was rejuvenated for the final 20 minutes. And after rapper Warren G performed after the third quarter, the Sparks — and their crowd — had all the momentum in the world. Ogwumike just delivered the icing on the cake.
Sunday, before anything else, was a celebration of the WNBA’s existence and the pioneers who fought to bring the game to its current standing.
“Just know that we never took a day for granted,” Leslie said at halftime. “We appreciate every moment, every day, every moment that you guys supported the WNBA from New York to L.A. and everywhere in between.”
But after Ogwumike’s game winner? WNBA fans exited Sunday’s game spoiled.
The controversy around the Pride Night protest by three San Francisco Giants pitchers continues to grow.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) entered the fray Tuesday, demanding answers from Major League Baseball after it issued warnings to Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker about writing on their uniforms. The players added a Bible verse on their specialty caps for the night.
In a letter addressed to MLB commissioner Robert Manfred, the Republican senator also accused the league of “a pattern of discrimination … against baseball players who profess their Christian faith.”
“I write with grave concern over your reported decision to issue a formal warning to three Major League Baseball (MLB) players for publicly expressing their Christian faith,” Hawley says in his letter. “MLB has said this is a content-neutral policy and that MLB ‘respect[s] players’ right to free expression.’ But this is dubious, given that MLB is openly promoting a political viewpoint and possibly compelling adherence to that viewpoint.”
The Missouri senator referenced the league’s “sweeping, judicially manufactured exemption from the federal antitrust laws” as justification for his inquiries.
“Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media.
The San Francisco Giants’ pride logo is displayed on the scoreboard at Oracle Park before its Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs.
(Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
In Friday’s Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs, Roupp, the Giants’ starting pitcher, wore a hat with “Gen 9:12-16” written alongside the rainbow “SF” logo. Relief pitchers Brubaker and Walker also added similar references to the Old Testament passage about rainbows being a “covenant between God and every living creature” on their caps. (Fellow Giants pitcher Sam Hentges chose to wear a cap with the team’s standard logo instead of the Pride Night version.)
“That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that,” Roupp told reporters after the game. “I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want.
“The verse says … the rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us, and us as believers to stand firm in that,” he added after confirming he never had previously inscribed it on his cap before. “There’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in. I believe in God, and that’s me.”
Rainbows have been associated with LGBTQ+ pride since the rainbow flag was introduced by activists and artists in San Francisco in the 1970s. The verse Roupp mentions often is cited by Christian conservatives in their effort to “reclaim” the rainbow’s symbolism. (Former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added the same Bible verse to his Pride Night cap last season.)
Following the Pride Night actions of Roupp and his fellow Giants pitchers, the team’s fans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies expressed their hurt, anger and disappointment in the players and the organization. The Giants have a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and causes.
The MLB issued the players who added inscriptions to their caps a warning Monday for violating the league’s uniform policy.
“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” MLB clarified in a widely reported follow-up statement issued Tuesday.
“We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations which provides in part that, ‘(a) Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment…’. We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,’ and names of family members.”
A number of fans expressed anger and disappointment after the actions by pitchers for the Giants, a team with a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and causes.
(Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
The Giants have not addressed the fallout beyond their statement following the game Friday.
“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued,” the statement provided to numerousoutlets reads. “We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. We understand that the choices by individual players has caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”
The team was among the first in professional sports to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game in the 1990s and the first MLB team to incorporate the Pride rainbow in its on-field uniforms for its Pride game in 2021.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener has continued to call out both the Giants and Republican politicians regarding the Pride Night protest and the aftermath.
“MAGA leaders like JD Vance and Josh Hawley are now glomming on and declaring an anti-LGBTQ culture war, in an attempt to bully MLB from enforcing its rules,” Wiener wrote in an lengthy post on social media, calling them out for their “Bigotry against LGBTQ people.”
“This isn’t an issue of religious freedom. People have a right to whatever religious beliefs they want — even if those beliefs dehumanize other people — but they don’t have a right to hijack their employer to promote those hateful beliefs at a job-related event.”
Harare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwean lawmakers have approved a bill that would replace direct presidential elections with a vote by parliament, a proposal that supporters say would promote policy continuity but that opponents fear could weaken democratic accountability and further entrench the ruling party’s grip on power.
“I just cannot believe that these are the people who want to elect a president on behalf of everyone,” Barnabas Gura, a 38-year-old from Harare’s Glen View suburb, told Al Jazeera.
“Only 210 members of parliament vote on behalf of a population of 15 million. It is preposterous.”
On Thursday, Constitutional Amendment Bill No 3 passed the National Assembly after 216 lawmakers voted in favour and 42 against. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is also expected to secure the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments.
The bill seeks to amend Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution by replacing the direct election of the president with election by a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, the bill’s sponsor, has rejected criticism that the proposed changes would undermine Zimbabwe’s constitutional order.
Speaking in parliament on June 3, Ziyambi said the bill was “not an abandonment of our constitutional order in any way, shape or form but a continuation of it”.
“It is a product of practical and experience of institutional reflection and of honesty that after more than a decade of implementation of certain provisions of the constitution requires refinement to enhance their functionality, coherence and their service to national progress,” he told lawmakers.
Ziyambi said there was considerable misinformation surrounding the bill, particularly on social media.
“This bill does not give the president a term extension or a third term. It does not take away the right to vote. It does not postpone elections. It does not concentrate power or the running of elections in the hands of the president,” he said.
Opponents, however, dispute that interpretation and argue the proposed changes would strengthen President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s influence over the political system and could pave the way for him to remain in office beyond the end of his constitutional term in 2028.
Bill threatens democracy
Supporters of the bill, including lawmakers from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), say the changes would promote long-term policy continuity and give Mnangagwa more time to complete his development agenda.
Gura is unconvinced.
He said two more years would not improve the lives of Zimbabweans struggling with poverty.
“Mnangagwa has failed for the past eight years. Only a few who are close to the ruling class are benefiting. More time will not make any difference,” he said.
ZANU-PF has been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. Mnangagwa came to power in November 2017 after former President Robert Mugabe was removed from office following a military intervention.
Under the current constitution, Mnangagwa is due to leave office in 2028.
Pride Mkono, a social justice activist and human rights defender, said the proposed amendment would further entrench ZANU-PF’s dominance.
“Since independence, the ZANU-PF party has dominated politics until 2000, when it was challenged by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. However, the opposition is now comatose and lacks capacity to challenge it,” Mkono told Al Jazeera.
“So, we will effectively enter a one-party state, but one dominated by a cartel of individuals.”
He said the objective of the proposed changes was not to improve the lives of ordinary people.
“It means a continuation of economic and social services collapse and mass impoverishment of the masses,” Mkono said.
Obert Masaraure, a human rights defender and president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), said the amendment would severely weaken the country’s fragile democracy.
“Power will be usurped from the people, and the executive acting in concert with the elites will freely loot national resources, exploit workers, destroy the environment and dehumanise our people without any restraint,” Masaraure told Al Jazeera.
Young people such as Gura say they have little reason to believe extending Mnangagwa’s tenure would improve their prospects.
He argues that removing direct presidential elections would strip citizens of one of the few mechanisms available to hold leaders accountable.
“This is a direct attack on accountability and transparency,” he said, adding that ZANU-PF had promised jobs ahead of the 2018 elections but failed to deliver.
Masaraure drew parallels with the colonial era.
“If you can not vote, you can not hold anyone accountable,” he said.
Violence and intimidation
A parliamentary committee report tabled in the National Assembly earlier this month said 99.4 percent of submissions received during nationwide consultations supported the proposed changes.
But the consultation process was marred by allegations of intimidation and violence.
Activists and rights groups say suspected state security agents abducted and tortured several opponents of the bill.
In Chiredzi, suspected ZANU-PF youths assaulted activist Gilbert Mutebuki after preventing him from speaking against the bill during a public hearing in late March.
Gura said he was also denied an opportunity to speak, along with other citizens opposed to the proposal.
Rawlings Magede, senior programme lead at Heal Zimbabwe Trust, disputed the parliamentary committee’s findings.
“It is not true that most people are in support of the bill. Those supporting it are only a few who think that by supporting the bill, they will get some rewards. People are desperate for gifts,” Magede told Al Jazeera.
He said the reported level of support was misleading and did not reflect the views of many Zimbabweans.
ZANU-PF controls parliament
The ruling party controls both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Its parliamentary dominance grew after the 2023 elections, when Senator Sengezo Tshabangu recalled a number of CCC legislators, strengthening ZANU-PF’s position in parliament.
Critics say many opposition lawmakers who remained in parliament are politically vulnerable because of Tshabangu’s influence.
The opposition remains fragmented and has struggled to mount a coordinated challenge to the ruling party.
Mkono said that although ZANU-PF enjoys a two-thirds majority in parliament, passage of the bill was never really in doubt.
To prevent individual lawmakers from voting independently, he said, the party wanted an open vote by show of hands.
“This is subtle intimidation and closes all avenues for genuine expression of MPs’ views. It is as archaic as it is diabolic,” he said.
Wicknell Chivayo, a controversial businessman and ally of Mnangagwa, has faced accusations from critics of attempting to influence lawmakers through gifts of cash and vehicles.
In April, he offered legislators $3.6m if they passed the bill before withdrawing the offer following public criticism, including from some ZANU-PF youths.
During debate on the bill, Chivayo gave vehicles and cash to MPs Remigious Matangira and Samantha Mureyani after they spoke in support of it in the National Assembly. Critics have described such gifts as inducements intended to influence support for the bill.
Tatenda Chikumbu, from Kambuzuma, another densely populated suburb of Harare, said he has little faith in lawmakers.
“If they can be bribed and vote for the bill, how can I trust them to vote for the president once the amendment is done?” Chikumbu asked Al Jazeera.
Susan Matsunga, an opposition MP who received a vehicle from Chivayo, supported the bill during debates last week.
During voting in the National Assembly on Thursday, more than 30 opposition lawmakers voted in favour of the bill.
Courts are the last line of defence
With the bill now headed to the Senate, opponents are increasingly looking to the courts.
Mkono said legal challenges could slow the process, but argued that political mobilisation offered the strongest response.
“Social movements must be launched and all concerned Zimbabweans come together to fight this politically. That is the only viable option,” he said.
Several legal challenges are already before the courts.
Some citizens are suing their MPs for supporting the bill. Others are challenging proposals that could extend Mnangagwa’s tenure. Human rights activist Youngerson Matete has approached the High Court seeking to stop enactment of the bill without a referendum.
Many Zimbabweans, however, have lost confidence in the judiciary, which critics accuse of lacking independence. The Constitutional Court has already started dismissing some of the cases based on technicalities.
For Gura, the stakes extend beyond the next election cycle.
The proposed constitutional changes, he said, would shape the future of the country his children will inherit.
“This is a direct attack on accountability and transparency,” he said.
The Sparks’ defensive struggles continued on Wednesday during a 99-83 loss to the first-place Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Arena.
The Sparks (7-7) had trouble containing Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, who set a WNBA rookie record with 24 first-half points and finished with a career-high 31. Miles helped the Lynx (11-3) make a strong push for a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship, but the Las Vegas Aces snatched the final spot against the New York Liberty with a victory over Phoenix on Wednesday night.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, the WNBA’s leading scorer, missed the game with a lower leg injury. The team also played without forward Cameron Brink, who sprained her ankle on Monday.
Rae Burrell led the Sparks in scoring with 19 points, while Jihyun Park added 13 off the bench. Dearica Hamby was limited to 12 points and nine rebounds, while Nneka Ogwumike added 10 points and eight boards.
“I thought [Jihyun] was a bright spot. She is really smart out there and knows what she is doing,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “That’s what you need to do when you get those moments — you take advantage of it, and that’s what she did.”
With Plum and Brink out, Roberts said pregame that it would take a team effort to beat Minnesota, but it was a tough climb for four quarters.
The Sparks were nearly perfect in the first quarter before committing their first turnover with under five minutes to play. The turnover swung the momentum in Minnesota’s favor.
The Lynx erased the Sparks’ 7-3 lead — fueled by quick starts from Burrell and Hamby. Burrell scored 10 points by being aggressive in all areas and Hamby scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.
Miles took a few minutes to get her feet wet. Once her shots started to fall, the Sparks struggled to contain her.
“She is good,” Roberts said about Miles’ performance. “She is talented. Like I said pregame, she is super skilled, and we were trying to mix things up. We didn’t execute exactly how we’d hoped to all the time, but you just have to tip your cap to her. She is a great player with a lot of skill.”
Lynx took their first lead with a jumper from Natasha Howard with 5:04 left in the first quarter. The lead changed frequently early, but the Lynx opened the second quarter with a 27-21 advantage.
The Sparks’ scoring trouble flared up in the second quarter just as Miles got hot. The Sparks were outscored 29-18 during the quarter and entered halftime down 52-37.
After trailing by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, the Sparks cut the margin to 10. Erica Wheeler sank two free throws to cut the deficit to 61-51 with 4:32 remaining in the third quarter.
The Sparks held Miles to five points during the third quarter, but the Lynx got 20 points from Nia Coffey and 15 points from Howard.
Fouls and turnovers crushed the Sparks’ rally. After Minnesota built a big lead, both teams cleared their benches late in the fourth quarter.
The Sparks haven’t beaten the Lynx at home since Aug. 21, 2018. L.A. is riding a two-game losing streak and will face Eastern Conference leader New York Liberty on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. The game will feature a celebration of the WNBA’s 30th anniversary.
“We are going through adversity right now,” Roberts said. “We just got to get healthy.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Any of the good vibes the Sparks generated from their three-game win streak were dissipated Monday.
In their 78-58 defeat, the Sparks’ worst weaknesses were exposed: continued struggles on defense and a punchless offensive scheme with Kelsey Plum struggling to score. Their 58 points were the fewest they have scored all season and they shot a second-worst 33.3% from the floor.
It was the fewest points scored by the Sparks since they were held to 57 by the Connecticut Sun on Sept. 9, 2021.
“We weren’t very good,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said.
The Sparks (7-7) were coming off victories against Portland and at Seattle and Phoenix but had no answers for the Valkyries’ smothering defense. They were notably unhappy with their effort.
“They played harder,” Roberts said of the Valkyries.
Golden State’s Kaila Charles and Gabby Williams kept Plum mostly in check, holding her to a season-low nine points after her career-high 43-point game in Phoenix on Saturday. Plum fouled out midway through the fourth quarter after being held to four points in the third quarter.
It was only the second time Plum fouled out of a WNBA game, and her first with the Sparks.
“We were down 12 or 13 and had to roll the dice,” Roberts said of keeping Plum in the game with five fouls in the fourth quarter. “It’s not like time was on our side.”
Plum shot three for 10, tied for her fewest attempts in a game this season. The only other time she was held to single-digit points with the Sparks was in another road game at Golden State last season.
In her last four games against the Valkyries, Plum is 17 for 57 from the field.
“We were throwing her different coverages, different looks, but again, just give credit to Gabby and [Veronica Burton],” said Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase about shutting down Plum. “They were taking that matchup.”
To make matters worse, Cameron Brink, who led the Sparks with 10 points, appeared to roll her left ankle in the waning minutes of the game and needed to be helped to the bench and then the locker room. Roberts said Brink’s injury was still being evaluated.
The Valkyries (9-5) ended the first quarter on a 17-4 run to lead 25-10. The Sparks went the final 3:45 without scoring. They made just three first-quarter baskets.
The Sparks cut the deficit to nine midway through the second quarter after a 16-6 run, powered by eight points from Brink off the bench.
But the Sparks’ defense couldn’t keep up with a Valkyries squad that shot 51.5% in the half. The Sparks trailed 45-26 at halftime after two Plum shots were blocked. Golden State scored the next 12 points and led by as much as 24.
Brink’s third-quarter entry gave the Sparks some life again as they narrowed it to a 13-point game.
The Sparks shot three for 21 from three-point range for their second-worst night from behind the arc this season. They committed 15 turnovers that turned into 22 Golden State points.
Along with Plum’s foul trouble, starting point guard Erica Wheeler finished with five fouls. In her return to Golden State, Sparks development player Kate Martin was the lone player with a positive plus/minus at plus-two in the ninth of her 12 allotted games.
The Sparks actually held the Valkyries to their third fewest points in a game this season, but they simply fell in too big of a hole early to recover.
“That is a hell of a team over there, in terms of offensive ammo,” Nakase said. “So holding them to 58, like that was a pretty good accomplishment.”
The Sparks return home to face the first-place Minnesota Lynx (11-3) on Wednesday before another tough matchup with New York. After what looked like a successful road trip, the Sparks will need to recover from another poor game.
“Defense is a choice, and you know, we came out casual in the first quarter,” Roberts said. “We were down 15, and we were playing catchup the whole time. To me, that’s the story.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The toughest decision of the Sparks’ season to date is fast approaching.
Within the next few games, the team will have to decide whether they are going to keep fan-favorite Kate Martin around.
She joined the roster on a developmental contract at the start of the season after being waived by the Golden State Valkyries the day of roster releases. Developmental contracts were introduced this year as part of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.
Each team can carry up to two players on developmental deals. Those players are allowed to practice and travel with the team, but they can only be active for a maximum of 12 games during the season.
The Sparks’ Kate Martin shoots over the Fire’s Nyadiew Puoch at Crypto.com Arena on June 7.
(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)
Typically, developmental players are used as emergency depth, stepping into the lineup only when injuries create a short-term need. That hasn’t been the case for Martin, who has been active for eight of the Sparks’ first 13 games, making her a regular part of the team’s plans.
“I’ve been activated for quite a few games and that is a blessing,” Martin said. “I feel very grateful to have been activated for so many games so far, but I think just like not knowing until like game day, trying to figure out, like, ‘Oh, am I going to be activated, am I not?’ I think that’s probably the biggest difference, but you know, they don’t treat me any differently.”
When given the opportunity, Martin has brought energy and impact off the bench. She is shooting 47.4% from the field and taking 1.6 shots from three-point range per game despite playing just 7.4 minutes. Martin often receives the loudest cheers from fans during home games.
She delivered her strongest offensive performance in a loss to the Tempo on May 17, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, but since then she has been used as a first-half rotation player to rest the Sparks guards as a reliable shooter and defender.
Even with the Sparks at full strength against the Portland Fire last week, Martin still earned eight minutes of play. Then she played four minutes in Saturday’s overtime win against Phoenix.
“We’re figuring it out in real time,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “These are new positions, and so each player only gets 12 games, but Kate does have experience. She is a spark off the bench. Everyone out there trusts her. There’s value to that. It’s hard, though, as a [developmental] player, to play one game and not play the next, and like it’s just hard for the rest of the group. So that part’s been tricky, and we’re figuring it out as we go.”
With seven active appearances already used, Martin has just four games remaining under the terms of her developmental contract. The Sparks must either preserve those appearances for later in the season or make a long-term commitment by signing her to a standard contract or she will become a free agent again.
The challenge is that Los Angeles does not currently have an open roster spot, meaning the team would need to waive a player to make room.
The Sparks’ Dearica Hamby and Kate Martin chest bump to celebrate after scoring against the Dallas Wings at Crypto.com Arena on June 5.
(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)
Rookies Jihyun Park and 2026 second-round draft pick Ta’Niya Latson have both appeared in fewer games than Martin, as have veteran Emma Cannon and second-year forward Sania Feagin, who was injured earlier this season but hasn’t claimed a rotation spot since her return.
Martin was a regular part of the rotation with the Valkyries in her one season with the franchise, playing in 42 games and averaging 6.2 points per game and 31% shooting from three-point range. She was inconsistent at times, but also provided a spark off the bench and it was a surprise when they cut her.
After an emotional few days after being waived, Martin joined the Sparks, where she was excited for the opportunity to develop. Now, she sees herself as a fit beyond the 12-game limit.
“The system that we want to run at a very fast pace,” Martin said. “Spread the floor and shoot a lot of threes, and I think that I am good at spacing the floor, and I think that what they want to run here offensively benefits my game in a lot of ways, and I think I fit kind of seamlessly in that way.”
Cameron Brink said she’d appreciate some grace. She really would.
Sparks fans should give her some, because where else is she going to get it?
Certainly not from WNBA refs. Not from opponents with more to play for than ever. Certainly not from the game itself; basketball moves fast, and a bummer can become a bust in a blink.
But Brink, 24, is not on the brink of bust territory, no. Block that thought. Technically, it’s Year 3, but after a torn ACL derailed her as a rookie two summers ago, it’s practically like Year 2 for the former Stanford star. And by design, the WNBA is testing her confidence, her decision-making and her patience as she tries to reestablish herself as one of the WNBA’s best young players.
So, grace.
The recognizable 6-foot-4 forward — she’s the long-blond-haired hooper in the New Balance ads — was the No. 2 overall pick in 2024.
Now she’s her team’s No. 3 option in the post. She’s coming off the bench behind Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby for the Sparks, who are a modest 6-6 after wins this week over the expansion Portland Fire and the struggling Seattle Storm.
Against the Fire, Brink scored two points and picked up four fouls in nine minutes. Then she went to Seattle and had 15 points in 18 minutes but was pulled with more than five minutes left in the fourth quarter after getting her third, fourth and fifth fouls in 86 seconds. (WNBA players get six fouls before being disqualified.)
For the season, Brink has been called for 49 fouls in 208 minutes. A foul about every four minutes!
They’re silly fouls and they’re phantom calls. Egregious and ticky-tack. Costly and common. A real fouled-up buffet. She sets screens that get scrutinized as if by the most vigilant TSA agent. And sometimes, yes, she’s doing the accidental tripping. Other times, the officials are.
Her reputation precedes her, so everyone gets a superstar’s whistle when being defended by Brink. Opponents bake it into their game plans.
That can’t continue.
All that fouling is hindering Brink’s development because it’s robbing her of important in-game reps — which she needs, foremost, to figure out how to stop fouling.
Sparks forward Cameron Brink, left, blocks the shot of the Tempo’s Laura Juskaite during a game last month.
(Jeff Lewis / Associated Press)
“At the pro level,” said Tara VanDerveer, Brink’s coach at Stanford, “every young player always has a lot of work to do. And I saw her make a three. I see her block shots. She rebounds, she can handle the ball, she’s unselfish, she’s a terrific talent. But there’s always things players need to work on.”
We know what Brink’s thing is.
“She has to be disciplined,” VanDerveer said. “And if you want something so badly, if you want to be an All-Star someday or make the Olympic team, you’ve got to be dependable … and I think anyone can change, if it’s behavior they recognize is not in their best interests or not in their team’s best interests. It’s hard, but it’s something I think people can do.
“That’s what Cam is working on.”
And, VanDerveer added, “I’m really so excited that Nneka is there, because she will give her such great guidance and mentorship.”
And grace. Brink is getting that from Ogwumike — also a former Stanford star, the Sparks legend returned to L.A. this season after two seasons in Seattle — and her other teammates.
“I just do my best to lead by example,” Ogwumike, 35, said. “But then also let [Brink] know that she’s very capable, that she’s more than capable, which is exactly why she’s here with us and it’s exactly why we need her on this team.”
Sparks forward Cameron Brink, wearing a facemask, controls the ball while defended by Sun forward Raegan Beers.
(Joe Buglewicz / Getty Images)
But how long will Brink get grace from the Sparks in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business of basketball?
The foul trouble tells us why a win-now team wouldn’t trust her, why the Sparks would give meaningful minutes to two veteran post players ahead of her. Why they wouldn’t prioritize Brink’s development alongside winning as they strive to snap a previously unthinkable five-year playoff drought.
And what about fans? How patient will you all be with a player who was drafted immediately after Caitlin Clark and five spots in front of Angel Reese?
These days, that might depend on what the parlay calls for.
Or, preferably, whether you remember Brink’s first 15 WNBA games. All starts, all signs pointing to stardom. She showed up in 2024 throwing lavish block parties. Her 2.3 blocks per game were message-sending spikes, like what Lisa Leslie used to enthrall Sparks crowds with.
From the jump, she had guys coming to games at Crypto.com Arena wearing her No. 22 jersey and little girls arriving in groups with No. 22 painted on their cheeks and “I love Cam Brink” signs in hand.
And then the torn ACL cost her 25 games of her rookie season and another 25 last season, plus her spot on the United States’ Olympic 3×3 women’s basketball team in Paris in 2024.
She had to start over. Lost a lot of ground. But you see that masked woman stuck on the Sparks’ bench for all but 17 minutes per game?
You can’t miss her. She’s looking uncomfortable in protective facial gear that either hinders her breathing or her peripheral vision, her only options to protect the torn septum she suffered in a victory over the Las Vegas Aces last month.
She’s the one with the 6-8 wingspan who’s averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 52.1% from the field in her limited minutes.
She’s still Cameron Brink. Between fouls, she’s fluid and fast and covers more of the court than almost anyone in the WNBA, able to leap from defending guards to centers in a single bound.
“It’s just looking at every day as a new opportunity to learn and grow and not getting too bogged down when things don’t go exactly as you planned,” Brink told me. “Because more times than not, things are not going to go how you want them to. And that’s life. So I just want to be able to put my best effort out there every single night.
She knows what the Sparks need from her: “To perform, just come on the floor and compete.”
SEATTLE — Nneka Ogwumike scored a season-high 24 points against her former team, Kelsey Plum added 19 points and 11 assists, and the Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 88-83 on Wednesday night.
Ogwumike, who spent the last two seasons in Seattle, also grabbed nine rebounds to move into fourth on the WNBA career list, passing Rebekkah Brunson.
Cameron Brink added 15 points off the bench and Dearica Hamby grabbed 10 rebounds for the Sparks (6-6) in the Commissioner’s Cup game.
Natisha Hiedeman scored 16 points for Seattle (3-11), which has lost seven straight games. Dominique Malonga scored 15, Flau’jae Johnson added 14, Awa Fam had 12 and Jordan Horston 11 as all five Seattle starters scored in double figures.
Chance Gray made three free throws with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter to give the Sparks a lead, 72-70, they would not relinquish.
The Sparks were called for a defensive foul on a drive by Horston with 28.9 seconds left in the fourth, but it was overturned after a coach’s review. The Sparks took possession, leading 86-83, but Plum missed a long jumper and Seattle called a timeout with 12.1 left.
Seattle struggled to get off a quick shot and settled for a long three-pointer by Hiedeman that hit off the rim. Plum sealed it by making two free throws with 1.6 seconds left.
IT was meant to be the Lewis Hamilton show as the F1 veteran celebrated after a record-equalling eighth podium finish at the glitzy Monaco Grand Prix.
But girlfriend Kim Kardashian, in a figure-hugging, backless Gucci cream dress, put that all in a spin as it was her bolshy disregard for trackside etiquette that made headlines.
Kim K’s figure-hugging dress was not the only way she stood out at the weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as she turned up with sister KhloeCredit: SplashKim K has riled fellow drivers’ Wags, sparking calls for her to be banned from the exclusive paddockCredit: PA
After seven-time world champ Lewis, 41, had rung back the years to claim a surprise second-place finish, Kim then turned spoilsport as she ducked under a brolly to avoid being splashed with celebratory champagne.
Oh, and she whipped the towel laid out for the race winner, Italian teen Kimi Antonelli, to dry himself with.
Our source trackside said: “Kim’s behaviour might pass in LA but the Europeans see it differently. The day should have been about the drivers, but it became the Kim K circus.
“People were watching in horror as she failed to embrace any of the F1 traditions. Snubbing Martin Brundle is one thing, but hiding from the champagne spray with an umbrella was a step too far for many — and the fact she just pushed Holly and Michael McIntyre out of the way was mind-blowing.
“Some of the other Wags were horrified and Alexandra Leclerc, the wife of Lewis’s Ferrari teammate Charles, was clearly unimpressed by her new trackside companion.
“Kim’s body language towards her as they watched the race was verging on rude. It was very uncomfortable to see.”
The Sun revealed earlier this year how Kim and Lewis had begun dating — but last weekend was the first time she has turned up to watch him race, joined by sister Khloe, 41.
Her dress was also a talking point because last month it was announced Gucci had become the first luxury fashion house to partner with an F1 team — launching Gucci Racing Alpine.
Our insider said: “The timing of Kim wearing Gucci can’t have been a coincidence. In fact she’s been wearing the brand a lot since she started dating Lewis.”
But as the Kardashian circus rolled into town, everyone and their VIP card was expected to make way, including former This Morning presenter Holly and TV funnyman Michael.
The moment was caught on film — with Holly and Michael left gobsmacked as their interview was disrupted and shouts of “mind out!” could be heard ringing out while Kim’s minders stormed past with her hidden away in their midst.
Michael could, at least, see the funny side as he reacted in his signature excitable tone, quipping: “It’s the Kardashians . . . I’m joining them!”
Kim K snubbed F1 legend Martin Brundle as he tried to interview her on the start gridCredit: GettyThe Hollywood hoopla was in full swing but Kim had clearly failed to do her homework on paddock and grid dos and don’tsCredit: Getty
He also could not resist a cheeky reference to Kim’s famously mighty toosh — joking: “My back’s gone! I think something belonging to Kim, I’m not mentioning anything, may have struck me in my lower back area, and I’ve got to tell you that it hurt.”
But others were far from amused by the unwelcome Kardashian chaos.
Another source said: “Some of the other Wags thought Kim totally took over Monaco. It’s like the circus came to town — even the F1 Instagram account was posting about her. Many of the drivers’ wives and girlfriends are influencers, and races are their opportunity to shine. But all anyone spoke about was Kim.”
Race-goers also noted that after Kim barged her way into centre stage, no one was talking to her, as she was moved swiftly from one place to another by her huge team.
The Hollywood hoopla was in full swing but Kim had clearly failed to do her homework on paddock and grid dos and don’ts, and she had those in the sport’s inner circle blowing gaskets left, right and centre.
Cocking a snook at veteran Sky Sports interviewer and former F1 driver Martin Brundle got her off to the worst possible start before the race had begun.
In clips that have since gone viral, the Kardashians star can be seen briefly waving at 67-year-old Martin before then stone-cold blanking the ex-Benetton driver of Eighties and Nineties race fame.
When it came to the uncorking of champagne after the race, Kim went down about as well as a flat tyre as she recoiled in horror at the prospect of champagne spray detracting from her queen bee look.
Michael McIntyre and Holly Willoughby are barged aside by Kardashian entourageCredit: Sky SportsKim’s behaviour might pass in LA but the Europeans see it differently, said our insiderCredit: Sky Sports
To add insult to injury, she then grabbed the towel traditionally set out for the race winner and used it to wipe down her sunglasses before walking off with it.
A fan watching aghast as these antics unfolded, blasted: “What is Kim Kardashian doing on the F1 grid? She is making the moment all about her — it is one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. Ban celebrities from the grid.”
Another equally revved-up onlooker demanded: “Can we please ban these disrespectful ingrates like Kim Kardashian from F1? If you won’t show the people who make the sport what it is the respect they deserve, then you have no place in our world.”
Liv Blankson, a creator of online content for Formula 1, who has been following the sport since childhood and is a huge fan of Lewis Hamilton, was also baffled by Kim’s carrying on.
She told us: “There is an F1 etiquette and when someone takes a step wrong, it’s very obvious. I have no issue with her being there, but do worry that she will overshadow the racing, which is what us fans are actually there for.
“If you’re on the grid just before the race, you have to expect to be spoken to, it’s just what happens.
“You have to be prepared. The fact she didn’t talk to Martin could be seen as disrespectful. He was a well-known racing driver and I hate it when he gets blanked.
“That was my main gripe with Kim being there. If you are going to be there, then please do some research. Celebrity culture in F1 is getting bigger and will grow even more now that Kim is on the scene, but us fans like it when they make the effort to get to know racing, the drivers, the teams and all the people that make it happen.
“Lewis just seems happy and relaxed and he did well, so maybe she is good luck.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
After seven-time world champion Lewis had rung back the years to claim a surprise second-place finish Kim then turned spoilsport as she ducked under a brollyCredit: BackGridHamilton thanked girlfriend Kim for attending the weekend and supporting himCredit: PA
Indeed, Lewis certainly seemed oblivious to the drama around his biggest and brashest new fan.
On the contrary, he even blew her a kiss from the podium as he gushed: “It’s amazing to have good people around you and good people supporting you.
“She does that for me every day. With my friends, incredible turnout just overall with people. I don’t really know what else to say.”
Thanking Kim again, he added: “It’s amazing to have her come this weekend and have the support.” A source said of the pair’s romance,
“They are in a serious, committed relationship” — and this latest public display of affection only sends the story into turbo-drive.
Lewis failed to take the winner’s spoils on race day as 19-year-old Mercedes wonderkid Antonelli, who replaced him on that team last year, beat him to the chequered flag and became the youngest ever winner of the Monaco Grand Prix.
But it was still a fine day for Lewis who matched the late, great Brazilian Ayrton Senna for Monaco podium finishes.
He moved up into second in this season’s drivers’ championship, leapfrogging his old Mercedes teammate George Russell and showing he has plenty left in the tank after a difficult season.
There have been rumblings that Lewis, now one of the oldest on the F1 circuit, may soon be on the home straight of his superstar career — but more results like the one this weekend will likely put such talk on hold.
And Kim may yet prove an asset.
Our insider said: “Lewis and Kim have the potential to be the next Posh and Becks of the racing world.
“Kim is a career mastermind and will no doubt be laying the groundwork.”
Next weekend, Lewis competes in the Spanish Grand Prix — but will Kim be along for the ride? Or consigned to the pits?
It is certainly too early to declare her his lucky charm, despite the weekend’s podium finish — but she sure knows how to command pole position.
AND SIX MORE BEAUTIES…
Alexandra Saint Mleux (Instagram followers: 4.6million)
Alexandra Saint Mleux is married to Charles LeclercCredit: Getty
SORRY ladies, but Ferrari’s golden boy, Charles Leclerc, is officially off the market.
Having dated Alexandra, 25, since May 2023, Charles broke millions of hearts when he tied the knot with the Mexican-French art historian in an intimate ceremony in, where else, Monaco earlier this year.
Kelly Piquet (Instagram followers: 2.5million)
Kelly Piquet has been been dating former world champ Max Verstappen since 2020Credit: Getty
IF there’s one woman who knows her way around a pit lane, it’s Kelly.
Not only has the Brazilian bombshell, 37, been dating former world champ Max Verstappen since 2020, but she’s the daughter of three-time F1 world champ Nelson Piquet.
She welcomed her first child, Lily, with Max last year.
Lily Muni He (Instagram followers: 1.4million)
Alex Albon and Lily Muni He finally got engaged in January after six years of datingCredit: Getty
WILLIAMS driver Alex Albon and his girlfriend Lily are a sporting power couple.
The 26-year-old Chinese sensation is a professional golfer who tears it up on the US-based LPGA tour.
Alex finally put a ring on it in January 2026 after six years of dating and the pair are now planning their wedding.
Rebecca Donaldson (Instagram followers: 815,000)
Rebecca Donaldson has been dating Carlos Sainz since 2023Credit: Getty
SPANISH driver Carlos Sainz has been smitten with 28-year-old Scottish model Rebecca since 2023.
The Perthshire-born beauty, who has a degree in International Fashion Branding, has fronted campaigns for massive global brands and has been spotted cheering on Carlos everywhere from Austin, Texas, to Jeddah.
Carmen Montero Mundt (Instagram followers: 849,000)
Carmen and George Russell are rumoured to be engagedCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
STUNNING Spanish finance professional and fashion influencer Carmen has been dating British F1 driver George Russell since 2020.
Engagement rumours have been swirling since the start of this year and just this month, George said they would be married within the next five years, declaring she is “without doubt my future”.
Lily Zneimer (Instagram followers: private)
Lily Zneimer lives a much more private life compared to the other F1 WagsCredit: Getty
LILY met Aussie F1 driver Oscar Piastri at boarding school in England and they started dating in 2019, when they were 17.
Unlike some of the other Wags, Lily likes a quiet life, doesn’t have a public Instagram and is rarely seen out with Oscar.
She is an engineering graduate though, so we might be seeing more of her in the paddock in future.
