Sparks can’t stop Atlanta Dream’s late run and season opener

No one moved for the first three quarters. The Sparks would go on a run, the Atlanta Dream would respond with one of their own, and vice versa. They were deadlocked at 66 at the start of the fourth quarter, giving the other no room to maneuver. Then the fourth quarter came.

Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Crystal Dangerfield made back-to-back layups to open the fourth. Then Rhyne Howard got a few free throws and followed them with a three. All of a sudden, the Dreams were up by double digits before the Sparks scored in the final period.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Sparks guard Kia Nurse said of the team’s cold streak in the fourth quarter. “We just weren’t going there. We didn’t make enough shots in that situation and defensively we couldn’t get any stops… That’ll be something we look at on film just to say where we could have been better in that situation, knowing that this is something you can fix. .”

There were moments of life, a huge three-pointer from rookie Cameron Brink to bring the Sparks back with six minutes remaining, but that was as close as it got. The Dream held on for a 92-81 victory over the Sparks in the season opener played at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach. The venue seats 5,000 people and the Sparks announced the contest was a sellout.

“I take responsibility for the fact that many starters got tired at the end of the third quarter. I had to substitute more players at once early in the fourth quarter than I would have liked,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said after the game. “Ultimately it was a tough situation to come out of, but we never gave up. We really fought and showed our spirit of discouragement which will allow us to be defined by this year.

Dearica Hamby led the young Sparks with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while point guard Layshia Clarendon finished with a first career triple-double – 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Brink finished with 11 points, four assists and two blocks in her WNBA debut, but early foul trouble limited her impact. On the game’s second possession, Brink found Clarendon, who made a three-pointer for the Sparks’ first points of 2024. Brink then cut inside to get an easy layup for his first pro points. The hot start propelled the Sparks to a quick 9-2 lead.

However, Brink quickly ran into foul trouble afterward and the Dream took advantage of his absence in the paint to tie the game late in the first quarter.

“Cam has to find a way to avoid mistakes because she’s so important to what we do,” Miller said. “She is a very good distributor of the ball as a 6-5 person, so she can create opportunities for her teammates. Defensively, she’s a great rim protector, but when you play three minutes in the first stretch and you have to sit, it’s a big blow… Really solid start for her, we just need to keep her on the court more a long time.

Despite all the hype that comes with the Sparks’ first two draft picks, Miller said the young, often overlooked team is still working to establish itself.

“Overall, it’s a disappointing result because I thought we played well enough at times to win this game,” Miller said. “But what a great start, in many ways, to what we’re trying to build as a culture in how we play, share (the ball) and move it. So, something to build on from tonight.

Whatever work the Sparks have left to do, it won’t get any easier from here as they head to the desert on Saturday to take on the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.