The Los Angeles Sparks are in a full-blown tailspin, and insiders say the locker room is starting to feel the heat. After a gut-wrenching 104-96 loss to the Dallas Wings on Friday, the Sparks have now dropped three straight games, falling to a disappointing 4-6 record. But according to sources close to the team, the real problem isn’t the scoreboard — it’s what’s happening between the ears.
Veteran forward Dearica Hamby didn’t mince words during her postgame press conference. “Just mental toughness,” she said, according to multiple reports. “Rebounds, helping strong side when we shouldn’t be — just little things that we could have had a little bit more control over.” One team insider told us that Hamby’s frustration has been building for weeks, and this loss may have been the breaking point.
What makes the situation even more alarming, according to analysts, is that the Sparks actually played well enough to win. They shot a blistering 54 percent from the field and connected on roughly 35 percent from three-point range before some late desperation heaves skewed the numbers. But in crunch time, the wheels came off. “They gave up two corner threes to Maddy Siegrist after helping off the strong side — twice,” one scout told us. “Then they surrendered two offensive rebounds in the final two minutes, and both led to Wings buckets. That’s not a talent issue. That’s a discipline issue.”
Ariel Atkins, another veteran leader, echoed Hamby’s concerns. “It’s a team thing,” Atkins reportedly said. “Making sure we have low man, making sure we’re not overhead and just paying attention to the details of the game and sticking to the scout.” Sources say the coaching staff has been hammering these fundamentals in practice, but the message isn’t sticking when it matters most.
Despite the loss, Hamby and Atkins did their part. Atkins finished with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Hamby added 15 points and five rebounds. Combined, the duo shot 60 percent from the field. But even that wasn’t enough to snap the skid. “I think we’re all just kind of trying to figure it out, adding new pieces,” Hamby admitted, referencing the integration of Nneka Ogwumike into the lineup. “I definitely felt more natural the first half, back to just having more of an open floor. But we’ll continue to build off that, trust coach to figure it out.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. With a crucial matchup against the surprising Portland Fire looming on Sunday, insiders say the Sparks are running out of excuses. “The next four or five games are definitely winnable,” Hamby said. “So carry over, process this game and turn the page real quick.” But if the same mental lapses show up again, sources say the criticism could get a lot louder — and the season could slip away entirely.
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