LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Sparks dropped their second game of the season Wednesday night, falling to the Indiana Fever 87-78 at Crypto.com Arena. A late Sparks run made the final score respectable, but Indiana controlled the game from the second quarter on and never let Los Angeles get close enough to threaten.
The Fever set the tone before halftime. After a competitive first quarter that saw the Sparks trail by just four, Indiana went on a decisive run in the second quarter fueled by Caitlin Clark’s playmaking and a Kelsey Mitchell three that pushed the lead to double digits.
Clark capped the half by earning a technical foul after a prolonged exchange with the officials, but the damage was already done. Indiana took a 48-34 lead into the break and never looked back.
Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 23 points, quietly dismantling the Sparks with pull-up jumpers and timely buckets throughout. Clark finished with 22 points, 9 assists, and 6 turnovers, a fitting summary of her night. She was electric as a distributor, responsible for a stretch in the third and fourth quarters where she connected with Cunningham, Mitchell, and Timpson on consecutive buckets to push Indiana’s lead toward 20.
Kelsey Plum finished with 25 points and gave the Sparks life in the fourth quarter, scoring 8 points in a stretch that trimmed the lead to 11. Dearica Hamby added 16 points and 7 rebounds.
Cameron Brink showed flashes of the player LA needs her to be, finishing with 11 points, 3 blocks, and active hands on defense. Off the bench, Nneka Ogwumike contributed 10 points and 3 steals, giving the Sparks energy in spurts that never quite translated into sustained momentum.
But LA’s chronic turnover problem proved too costly. The Sparks gave the ball away repeatedly, with Plum alone finishing with 5 turnovers, and Indiana converted those mistakes into easy buckets at a brutal pace.
At 0-2 on the young season, the Sparks have yet to find their footing. The talent is there, but turnovers and second-quarter collapses are emerging as early-season concerns. They host the Toronto Tempo on Friday night with a chance to get in the win column for the first time this season.