After a disappointing loss to Seattle, the Minnesota Lynx were looking to get back to winning when they welcomed the Los Angeles Sparks to Target Center Saturday afternoon. The Sparks, coming off a win against Las Vegas, were trying to get some momentum in what has been a rough start to the season.
To put it simply, the Sparks got blitzed in the first half. Turnovers, poor shooting, and poor defense put the Sparks behind the eight ball very quickly. Napheesa Collier scored 26 of her 32 points in the first half. Courtney Williams got back on track, scoring 15 of 17 points in the first half. The Lynx held Kelsey Plum to 5 first half points, and Rickea Jackson to eight points. The Lynx took a 58 – 26 lead into halftime, and it appeared as though they were on the way to a blowout win.
The second half of the game told a somewhat different story. The Sparks came out more juiced and took advantage of a setback in Minnesota’s defense and general lack of sharpness. The Sparks shaved five points of the Minnesota lead, ending the third quarter with Minnesota up 78 – 51. Still a substantial lead, but the Sparks looked to keep rolling.
Minnesota and the Final Quarter Versus Los Angeles
The fourth quarter saw the Sparks continue their attempt to chip away, but Minnesota had an answer. Los Angeles did get as close as 17 points, but that was it. Even though the Sparks had made a dent in the Lynx lead, they couldn’t get over the hump, and the game ended 101 – 78, a significant improvement for Minnesota from their previous game.
BIG DUB AT HOME. pic.twitter.com/Lblp7bCcaQ
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 14, 2025
The Sparks were missing Odyssey Sims, out for personal reasons. Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell remain sidelined due to injury. The Lynx are without Jessica Shepard, who is playing in Europe. Recent signee Maria Kliundikova made an impact off the bench, scoring 11 points, with five boards, two steals, and three blocks.
Alissa Pili scored eight points in 10 minutes, and Natisha Hiedeman scored 14 in 25 minutes off the bench. Plum scored 20 for the Sparks, followed by Jackson with 18, Emma Cannon with 14, and Dearica Hamby 10. Kayla McBride had an unusually quiet day, with no threes and scoring only 4 points. Only Collier, Williams, and Kliundikova were in double figures.
What’s Next for the Sparks and Lynx?
As a side note, the Minnesota Lynx retook the league lead, with the New York Liberty falling to Indiana. They are again atop the Commissioner’s Cup Western Conference table, with Seattle being handed a loss by the Golden State Valkyries, a team that no one should take for granted because they are a rookie team. With one more Commissioner’s Cup game left for both Minnesota and Seattle, there are a few permutations, but a win for both teams still gives Minnesota the top spot.
Up next for the Sparks is a home game with Seattle coming to LA. The Lynx will welcome the Las Vegas Aces, without A’ja Wilson, who is in concussion protocol. With the Aces not playing their best basketball and a highly motivated Lynx team, that should be quite a game.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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