Sparks clinch No. 1 spot in 2025 WNBA Draft lottery with loss to Sun

The Sparks followed a familiar formula of staying close before fading late in their loss to the Sun, securing them the No. 1 spot in the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery.

After battling, and leading, for a good portion of the contest, the Sparks faded in the fourth quarter to fall to the Sun, 79-67. The loss means the Sparks have clinched the top spot in the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery.

Rickea Jackson’s stellar play in the second half of the season continued and she ended the game with 23 points, four rebounds and three steals. Dearica Hamby grabbed seven rebounds to go with her 10 points. Odyssey Sims also chipped in 10 points.

Both teams came out great offensively, trading the lead in the process. Jackson and Azurá Stevens had the hot hands for Los Angeles. The Sparks were struggling to keep the ball in their hands, already netting a few turnovers. The Sun had gone up four, but a 3-pointer by Sims cut the deficit to one.

Connecticut managed to hold off LA and went up by six. Five points from Yueru helped the Sparks cut the deficit to one at the end of the first.

Jackson took control of the offense for Los Angeles to start the second quarter. She was the first Spark to score in double digits. After trading the lead, LA jumped up by four. Connecticut started struggling to make their shots, but the Sparks couldn’t fully capitalize.

A three by Crystal Dangerfield gave Los Angeles a six-point lead. A sudden energy shift saw both teams pick up their offense. Seven points in eight minutes for Dangerfield were huge for LA.

Despite some pressure from the Sun, the Sparks ended the half with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Kia Nurse to maintain a six-point lead.

The second half began with Connecticut cutting the deficit to two. Both teams played carelessly with the ball. A much-needed bucket from Jackson extended the lead to four for LA.

The turnovers and messy play were the big factor in the energy for both teams going down. At the four-minute mark, it was a tie game. Los Angeles went on a 9-2 and Jackson’s dominant play continued throughout this quarter as she knocked down a big 3-pointer, giving the Sparks a 58-55 to end the third.

The final frame started with Jackson once again scoring. The Sun were winning the rebound battle, resulting in extra possessions. It was a tie game with seven minutes left.

An impressive spin move leading into a fadeaway shot by Jackson put LA back up by two. The Sparks found themselves down by two after a 3-pointer by Marina Mabrey. Los Angeles was starting to make a few of their usual fourth-quarter mistakes.

LA’s defense was helping them remain close despite their turnovers and misses. Jackson was fouled and converted on one free throw to cut the deficit to two. A huge 3-pointer by Djonai Carrington put the Sun up by five.

The Sun then went up by eight, their largest lead of the night. Ultimately, it was a 20-3 run from Connecticut in the fourth that sealed the comeback and the win.

Key Takeaways:

LA’s fourth-quarter woes continued and it’s something they’ll need to fix for the last few games so they can build in a better direction for next season.

On a positive note, the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes is looking like a win for the Sparks.

The Sparks’ next game will be against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.