Sparks guard Chennedy Carter drives to the basket as Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson defends during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Chiney Ogwumike, left, battles for the rebound against Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Katie Lou Samuelson talks to Coach Derek Fisher during the first half of their home opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Jordin Canada handles the ball during the first half of their home opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard, left, and Sparks guard Jordin Canada scramble for a loose ball during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Jordin Canada drives to the basket against Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson, right, during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Chennedy Carter drives to the basket during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
A Sparks fan reacts to a Minnesota Lynx turnover during the first half of the Sparks’ home opener on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Jordin Canada shoots over Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Players on the Sparks’ bench react during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson scrambles for a loose ball in front of Sparks guard Lexie Brown during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks coach Derek Fisher looks on during the first half of their home opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown smiles after scoring during the first half of their home opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike wraps a pass behind Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks center Liz Cambage shoots over Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Jordin Canada, center, loses the ball as she drives to the basket during the first half of their home opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Sparks lost, 87-84, on a three-point play with 2.1 seconds left. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Soarks coach Derek Fisher speaks to his team during a timeout in the first half of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Brittney Sykes drives to the basket against Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Katie Lou Samuelson shoots over Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Brittney Sykes drives to the basket against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Brittney Sykes, left, reacts to a foul against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks coach Derek Fisher looks on during the first half of their home opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Chennedy Carter (7) and forward Jasmine Walker, left, vie for a rebound against Minnesota Lynx center Nikolina Milic during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the third quarter of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony watches the Sparks’ home opener against the Minnesota Lynx from a courtside seat on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Katie Lou Samuelson shoots against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Brittney Sykes, right, and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride battle for a loose ball during the second half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the fourth quarter of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Chennedy Carter (7) reaches for a rebound over Minnesota Lynx center Nikolina Milic during the first half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Chennedy Carter fouls Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard drives to the basket as Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike defends during the fourth quarter on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard drives to the basket as Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike defends during the second half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard drives to the basket as Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike defends during the second half on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride goes down hard on the court during the fourth quarter of their game against the Sparks on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike grabs a rebounds in front of Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, right, during the first half of the Sparks’ home opener on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown celebrates after making a 3-pointer to tie the score in the final minute of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks coach Derek Fisher reacts during the fourth quarter of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks center Liz Cambage (1) reacts along with teammates Lexie Brown, left, and Jordin Canada after she hit a shot to tie the score during the fourth quarter of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) is fouled by Sparks guard Brittney Sykes as she makes a go-ahead reverse layup with 2.1 seconds left during the fourth quarter on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, center, celebrates with teammates after making a reverse layup and drawing a foul against Sparks with 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Lynx held on to win, 87-84. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Jordin Canada looks toward the scoreboard after a teammate’s foul during the fourth quarter of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks coach Derek Fisher looks on after a foul during the second half of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Jordin Canada looks on from the bench during the fourth quarter of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — Sparks coach and general manager Derek Fisher knows you needn’t only build an impressive roster to build excitement in a crowded L.A. sports landscape.
Those players have to come through.
“We wanted to be in a position where we’re expected to be successful,” Fisher said before tipoff. “In L.A., when we’re in direct competition with 11 other professional sports teams, you have to be relevant, you have to have players that people want to come and see, otherwise people aren’t going to fight the traffic and come watch you play.”
A crowd of 4,701 got there Tuesday to see the team’s home opener at Crypto.com Arena, including basketball greats Magic Johnson, Lisa Leslie, Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis, as well as comic actress Leslie Johnson, who played the part of an enthused fan from her front-row seat.
They saw Fisher’s revamped roster lose their third consecutive game, dropping their home opener in an increasingly taught game against the Minnesota Lynx, their old rivals from championship tussles in the previous decade. The Sparks fell to 2-3, while Minnesota improved to 1-4.
“We were the home opener for four other teams so we were really feening to get this one,” Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike said. “L.A. showed out as usual, I know they’ll continue to despite tonight’s result, but I guess you could say it’s kind of like growing pains.
“But after you have growing pains, you’re taller, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this works out.”
The game came featured eight ties and five lead changes in the fourth quarter and came down to the final moments, when Kayla McBride capped a remarkable 24-point outing – the day after she arrived back in the United States after her season in Turkey – by getting free for a reverse layup and a free throw that put the Lynx ahead 87-84 with 2.1 seconds left.
The play – combined with the Sparks’ subsequent whiff on creating a good 3-point look with time running out – spoiled the hosts’ own late-game heroics.
Lexie Brown buried her fourth 3-pointer to tie the score at 82-82 with 53 seconds left and Liz Cambage’s tying turnaround shot over Minnesota’s Sylvia Fowles, who committed her sixth and final foul defending the attempt, tied it again, 84-84.
Brown and Cambage finished with 12 points apiece, in 31 and 24 minutes, respectively.
Brown shot 4 for 6 and improved to 11 for 18 from behind the arc this season, crediting her experience in the fledging Athletes Unlimited league for helping boost her confidence coming into this season.
“I’m just finally having an opportunity to show what I’m capable of,” she said.
Cambage was again hampered by foul trouble, finishing with a frustrating five of them.
“We have to figure out a way to help with just Liz being able to stay on the court longer,” Fisher said of the Sparks’ dynamic new 6-foot-8 center. “That’s kept her minutes around the mid-20s, and she’s a player that impacts the game for us on both sides, so if you think about the rebounding aspect; if she plays 32 minutes instead of 24, maybe a few more of those rebounds are ours.”
Former Mater Dei High standout Katie Lou Samuelson scored nine points in her Sparks debut on 3-for-5 3-point shooting in 23 minutes – four days after returning from Spain, where she’d won a second consecutive championship with Perfumerias Avenida.
“It just shows the commitment really,” Nneka Ogwumike said of Samuelson and McBride’s recent itineraries. “It’s kind of amazing too, because they get to go over there and make some money, win championships, and then come over here and play in the W. There’s only 144 spots over here, so for them to make that commitment and play off a plane, is remarkable. Not just play – but show out. They both hooped tonight.”
For the new-look Sparks, it was Nneka, their mainstay, the six-time All-Star and former league MVP who also heads the players union, who was the most incandescent contributor, finishing with 22 points and eight of the Sparks’ 26 rebounds – 14 fewer than Minnesota’s tally.
The Sparks got the good start they’d been missing in their first four games, bolting ahead 12-4 on Chiney Ogwumike’s layup through contact with 5:33 left in the opening frame – a play that drew a full-body shiver of a celebration from big sister Nneka, who’d delivered the pass to her in the post.
But thanks to an alert 12 first-quarter points from McBride – who stepped off a plane in L.A. on Monday afternoon and proceeded to pour in 12 first-quarter points and 17 in her first 11 minutes of action.
Her deep 3-pointer with 2:26 left in the first quarter erased all of the Sparks’ advantage, tying it, 14-14.
The Lynx went into halftime leading 46-40, enough to hold off the Sparks in the second half, when they outscored their guests 44-41 – not quite enough to come through with a win.
