For Sparks fans, the past 72 hours have been especially frantic. By the slimmest of margins, the Los Angeles team managed to miss out on their first playoff appearance in several seasons. It may not seem like a major feat, but given that I was there when Liz Cambage and Chennedy Carter were the bright spots on the roster (to save space, I’ll just say + “controversy” on Google will fill in some gaps) as well as at least three coaches and the trading of star player Nneka Ogwumike to The Storm, you could understand why I suddenly became that person at the racetrack watching the horses run, shaking irrationally with a crushed betting slip in my hand, hoping that *somebody* would go down in the closing stretch. Alas, to have that be The Storm winning against the new kids of California, The Valkyries, by a single point difference is such a heartbreaking way to go… and on a night where The Sparks WON.
There is a hypothetical where one more victory early in the season would’ve given that wiggle room for the final game to be really exciting. As has been tradition, I went to see them play my other favorite team, The Aces, who I last saw losing and sending Becky Hammon to the locker while Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road, Jack” played on the speakers. It has become fun to watch this match-up entirely because of the controversial trade of Dearica Hamby over her pregnancy. Yes, sweetening the pot was former Aces (and my current favorite player) Kelsey Plum bringing that “Point Gawd” energy that was sorely missing last season, though I think the Hamby of it all always gelled with The Sparks because, despite their championship history, they currently exist as the underdogs in a changing league.
On the surface, The Sparks playing The Aces had a certain tragic quality to it. The stakes were gone. The night would end, and everyone would get to see The Aces sometime very soon. No matter who won, Las Vegas would look better. It’s not the best disposition for a basketball game. Still, at the same time, this has been the most exciting Sparks season in years, at least since 2022 when the flamboyant departure of Cambage mere weeks before the end of the season meant that they *technically* made the playoffs, but were S.O.L. in terms of larger vision. The pieces had fallen into place. Cameron Brink was back from injury, and I remain very high on Julie Allemand’s overall performance. I’d even express devastation if Rickea Jackson was traded anytime soon.
The team hasn’t looked this good in so long. Having gone to games that have been placed at the beginning, middle, and end of the season, it’s been interesting to come back and see the small tweaks. I was especially impressed with their performance against The Liberty, who assaulted them in 2024 and were barely outpacing them in 2025. It’s one of those reasons that, for everything stacked against them, you wanted to believe that they could pull a win out against The Aces.
The same Aces who were in the middle of an amazing run that has been chronicled over a month of victories. Even as my attention has mostly been focused on The Sparks running through their own late-season surge, I had forgotten that Las Vegas was always a team that meant a lot to me. Two years ago, I drove out to see the opening finals game against The Liberty. For as much as Plum was a big crux of why I loved the team, with her removed, I was able to see the other pieces more clearly. A’ja Wilson had a dominant night. Chelsea Grey was landing a few.
If forced to ask what players I was most excited to watch, I’d put Jewell Lloyd high on that list solely because I was a Sue Bird era Storm fan who would hold them up as one of the best WNBA teams in my time being a viewer. In a better situation, I would’ve loved to see them play The Aces during those years. Thankfully, they’ve rebuilt – un/fortunately (?) with the help of Ogwumike – and I am excited to see where their post-season takes them. But Lloyd tonight was a lot of fun and I think a welcome addition to the team. While I worry that The Aces were getting players they didn’t know what to do with (see: Kate Martin), this year feels like they’re more locked in and ready to go, reaching vintage dynasty era stats. It’s tough to imagine that without Plum, but at the same time… I love seeing her more than once a year.
To shift to The Sparks, I do think a lot of what drove my passion for the game was the narrative you develop as a fan. Everything is over, so why not go out with a celebration? I’m not talking about the themed Fan Appreciation Night (though I love the group picture), but more the go-for-broke mentality that inspired them to actually use a chunk of their roster and take risks knowing that The Aces were unstoppable and, after a point, just going to steamroll the team into oblivion while twisting limbs in every which way but loose.
A major upset in the night came early. If I’ve had my heart out for a newer player, it’s Cameron Brink (and not just because she scored her first league points at my school). I was grateful to see her three times last season before the setbacks kept her from finishing the season. I loved the rebound energy and believed that with time, she could get over the foul trouble. I wouldn’t say I’ve seen a game this season where I’ve been overly impressed, but I just loved having her back.
Which makes the fallout much more difficult. It’s expected that basketball’s physical nature will lead to injuries. I’d argue tonight had a fair share of distressing moments, though none will likely be as recognized as Brink’s nose. I don’t wish to report on any updates, but hope that she’s fine. I kept an eye on the bench to see if she’d return, but she didn’t. Still, it’s the most distressing sight I’ve witnessed at one of these games. It also means, by technicality, that this marks the second season where she couldn’t finish due to injury.
I wouldn’t really say that too many of the reliables had a great night after. They had a competent go that would serve them well against a more comparable foe, but something about Brink’s injury kept everything from ever fully connecting again. Hamby was outmatched. Plum at times, ahem, plummeted. It’s one of those times where Goliath continually stomped over them and made you understand the deficit of not having Jackson and Allemand. It wouldn’t have done a lot, but it would’ve done *something*, anything.
If I can highlight one player, it’s Sarah Ashlee Barker. Fresh off a birthday yesterday, she put up some of her best numbers of the season, with this game being her career high. As a big Brink/Jackson truther, I’ll admit Barker has come across as lost in the fray at points and having to fit with the incoming Plum. However, she has had that hustle and willingness to contribute when necessary. I think her success hasn’t been as apparent, though she has been a good fit for the team. I will say that a partial reason why I have trouble critiquing her is that I might be mistaking her for the other white blondes (some named Julie) on the team. With this game being the first time where she’s really separated herself from them, I am excited to see how she fits with the few changes next season.
Can we just talk about the moment I have been personally waiting for? Talk to me at any point since August and I’ll have told you the same. I might’ve even gone further knowing that The Sparks hired Utah University’s head coach who she played under. The moment that Los Angeles got Alissa Pili, I was jazzed. Having seen her play with The Minnesota Lynx, I was left in a similar boat to seeing Kate Martin with The Aces: a good player on a great team. There was no way to logistically keep her minutes high when The Lynx promised annihilation. It makes sense to remove her from the equation, and The Sparks made the most sense. I guess somewhere along the line of seven-day contracts (one more and you get a free Subway sandwich), she finally got to play the sport we call basketball and prove why she was drafted so high.
To be clear, I’m not a college basketball seeker. I mostly stick to my region and watch our guys develop. Two years ago now, I remember watching U.C. Irvine play The Utes in March Madness and being blown away by the coaching. I was even more awestruck by Pili, who has this physical dominance to her that I don’t think I’ve really seen get its due in the WNBA yet. Part of it is inexperience, but it’s also just the minutes thing. When The Sparks had serious contention, it didn’t make sense to play her.
As much as I had assumed that Pili was synonymous with “game over” in a time like this, she presented everything that I had been wanting out of her. Much like Barker tonight, she came out and let the league know why she mattered.
More importantly, her introduction feels unprecedented. A lot of it may be the Samoan and indigenous community finally having a player to support, but even then, the deafening roar of a third-quarter entrance felt like being rattled awake, that this is a cry for someone much more crucial to the game than seven points. Pili has always drawn some attention when playing, but tonight it felt like the whole room was there for her. Even the first lay-up felt raucous.
As I’ve suggested, the game was ostensibly “over” by this point. However, the Pili run was something where you thought that maybe this was the turnaround you only read about, where a 15-point run was about to happen and put us down by single digits. Watching Pili block Wilson was majestic, proving that an MVP (who, I have been told more than once on a regular basis, they built a statue for) was capable of being taken down. Given that the only player as tall as Wilson was Brink (though it was fun to see Plum try and do anything against her former teammate), it looked like an uphill battle that actually had some run-off. Again, not the cosmic reckoning the game needed, but enough to make me believe The Sparks will find a place for Pili next season.
If forced to assess the game in literal terms, it was a pretty bad game. This is now the third team I’ve seen The Sparks lose to by over 25 points in a very short window. Sometimes the team looked defeated and was just spinning out. Even then, I wouldn’t argue that they were ever phoning it in. The feeling in the room was that players were just trying anything they could to survive, and they couldn’t match the random decision for Grey to turn into Magic Johnson with the passes to Wilson.
And with that, another season has been brought to an end. Another year where The Sparks didn’t make the playoffs. On the one hand, it remains devastating to see it by the slimmest of margins. Then again, it beats previous seasons where the final game felt less climactic, where the writing had been on the wall all week, and not just a few days.
In a move that I do appreciate, the coach and Plum took to the center court after the game to give parting thoughts on the season. For all of the faults, I do think this group embodies the work ethic of an underdog team. They are developing young players who really have a drive and, with time, can create skill (remember the importance of “built not bought”). I feel the urgency because I have been here watching the changes and living with that hope. Sure, I recognize how The Aces have been better as of late, but the measurement of success is different for The Sparks. It’s about coming back each year a little better than the last. 2024 was messy. Even if we lost players I enjoyed (Yueru! Nurse! Clarendon!), the switch-ups have been mostly effective in greater gain.
Also, in a move that I’m sure will sound somewhat pompous given bias, Plum’s choice to be here speaks volumes about her desire to challenge herself and not just coast on The Aces’ track record. The effort has been evident, and I think she’s improved the cast around her. Not only that, but the venue’s recognition of the squad feels more distributed this time around. Whereas I felt like 2024 had a noticeable lack of Hamby merch, she is now accepted among the rookies and incoming star. There is a community that continues to develop, and I appreciate seeing it in action.
My one caveat is that I spent way too much time in the store to catch the opening line-up. While I doubt it was that different from usual suspects, I did want to take in those final cheers and see if they would recognize 9/11 in any meaningful way. As it is, I’m proud to say that it was still a great crowd who was there for a good time. According to reports announced at the end of the game, The Sparks were the fourth-highest attended team in the league. Not bad.
So that is it for another season. If the pattern holds, we can guarantee one thing. Every year, at least one team that I’ve seen makes the finals. In the case of the last two years, I got to see both. So, here’s the thing… your victor will be one of these teams: The Sparks, The Valkyries, The Liberty, or The Aces. Given that one’s eliminated, it’s safe to say you’re betting 33% with the remainder. I would love for a Golden State upset, but I’m also high on The Aces after tonight. Maybe it’s a byproduct of not seeing Breanna Stewart this year (crying emoji), but The Liberty need to remind me why they should get a dynasty. Ball’s in your courts, ladies. Don’t let The Lynx win because that’ll make me look bad.
Anyway, another great season is over. Happy to have been there for three games. It’s nice to have had that high last longer this year. I’m hoping it goes even further in 2026.
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