Despite a strong defensive performance, the Los Angeles Sparks fell to the Golden State Valkyries, 72-59, Saturday night on the road. The Vakyries’ 33 first-half points marked a season low for a Sparks opponent in the first half this season, while Golden State’s 72-point total was the second-fewest L.A. has surrendered in a game this season.

Dearica Hamby recorded a team-high 15 points (5-for-8 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 4-for-4 FT), all scored in the third quarter. Hamby’s third quarter matched the highest-scoring quarter of her 11-year WNBA career. Julie Allemand tied her season high with 10 points and added three assists.

Off the bench, Rae Burrell contributed 10 points and secured three rebounds, while Julie Vanlooset new Sparks career highs with four rebounds and two steals. Rickea Jackson contributed a season-high two steals, also grabbing six rebounds and draining two triples. Los Angeles’ newest signing, Alissa Pili, made her Sparks debut with just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

QUOTES OF THE NIGHT:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On what contributed to tonight’s loss:

“Well, it’s two things, right? We had the same amount of field goal attempts as them, so it wasn’t a possession game. It was a shot-making game, and there’s two [reasons] for that. One, you have to give their defense credit. They did a really good job making us a little rushed. As I said before the game, they play so hard. So that’s one: you have to give their defense credit for the game plan and being ready to get after us. And two, we just didn’t hit shots like we normally have been. I don’t think we took bad shots. We got to the bucket a little more in the second half. We were more aggressive. We found ways at halftime to work on how to get the ball into the paint and score, but we still didn’t shoot it from three well. And that happens sometimes, there’s games like that. Unfortunately, it was tonight, so I think we had an off-shooting night from three, and you gotta give their defense credit.”

Dearica Hamby

On the Valkyries’ game plan:

“I think their game plan was to pack the paint and make us shoot outside shots. [We] couldn’t really find confidence like we normally do. We couldn’t get to the basket and hit kickout threes, and it just became mental for us after that.”