Te’a Cooper scores a career-high 26 to lead Sparks victory
The Sparks used their signature defensive intensity and avenged their blowout loss two weeks ago to the Washington Mystics with an 89-82 victory Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Along with their stellar defense, they got impressive offensive nights from guard Te’a Cooper and forward Amanda Zahui B.
Coming off the bench, Cooper led the Sparks (6-7) with a career-high 26. Zahui B. bounced back after a couple tough outings with 17 points and five rebounds while helping to contain the WNBA’s leading scorer, Tina Charles.
“Whether I scored 26 or two or whatever, I just want my energy here,” Cooper said. “I want to leave a court saying I gave my all. So, that’s what really matters to me.”
Guard Leilani Mitchell led the Mystics (7-7) with 26 points. Charles matched her season scoring average with 25 points while securing 10 rebounds.
Los Angeles started the game with length to combat Charles and company, giving center Kristine Angiwe her first start of the season. After the Sparks fell behind 8-0, coach Derek Fisher summoned Cooper off the bench just three minutes into the game.
She delivered.
The second-year player notched eight points in the first quarter alone to bring the Sparks within striking distance at 23-17 before rallying for a 32-21 second quarter and a five-point halftime lead.
“She’s phenomenal getting downhill and when she converts on those opportunities at the rim the way she did tonight, she’s tough to stop,” Fisher said.
The Sparks lived in the paint, scoring 40 points in the key. Fisher noted that the plan was to get to the rim to open things up offensively.
Washington came in committing just the third-most turnovers in the league at 12.2 per game, but the Sparks created 33 points off 21 Mystic turnovers.
The Sparks also blocked six shots, three from Zahui B., including a possible game-tying three from Charles. The Sparks crowd rocked after the block and subsequent shot-clock violation.
Since the teams met two weeks ago, they’ve trended in opposite directions. Before Thursday, the Sparks had lost four of their last five while the Mystics were on a three-game winning streak.
“I believe this group has showed a great deal of character and fight, and really trying to battle through everything,” Fisher said.
Both teams were short-handed – the Mystics had five players sidelines with injuries and the Sparks didn’t have Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, both out with knee injuries. Bria Holmes, who left Sunday’s game early with calf tightness, didn’t get in the game. Veteran guard Kristi Toliver took a shot to the face in the fourth quarter and headed to the locker room and did not return.
Despite playing just eight players, the Sparks got 53 points from their bench, with Brittney Sykes scoring 14 and Karlie Samuelson adding a career-high 13.
Samuelson has gone through five stints with the Sparks since 2018, and Fisher said her demeanor on and off the court is everything that’s right with basketball.
Cooper also raved about Samuelson’s energy after signing with the team on a hardship contract following the team’s extensive injuries.
“I’m super happy for her because it’s hard; it’s hard mentally, it’s hard physically,” Cooper said. “Then you expect somebody to come out here and just hoop like nothing happened. I think that for her to do that is remarkable.”