The Connecticut Sun beat the Los Angeles Sparks 85:77 in a Women's NBA match on 18 August 2026. It was a result the home side needed after a run of defeats. The visitors had been struggling too, losing three straight before this one.
And here's the thing about the shooting — the Sun were far more efficient from the field. They hit 36 of 71 attempts while the Sparks managed only 29 from 64. Three-point shooting told a similar story: four from twelve for Connecticut, two from sixteen for Los Angeles. To be fair, the Sparks made more free throws, seventeen from twenty-three, but it wasn't enough.
The Sun controlled the paint with 54 points inside compared to 48 for the visitors. They also dominated the glass, pulling down 33 rebounds to 29. Fast-break points went 23 to 9 in favour of the home team. By then you could see where the game was going.
Both sides committed similar numbers of turnovers — 18 for Connecticut, 16 for Los Angeles — and each recorded 12 steals. The Sun built a 21-point lead at one stage. The Sparks never managed to take control, their biggest lead standing at zero.
For the Sun, this ends a poor run. They had lost to New York Liberty 75:82 and then to Atlanta Dream 69:104 in their two previous outings. They had beaten Phoenix Mercury 75:72 before that, but consistency has been a problem all season.
The Sparks were already in trouble. They had dropped games to Washington Mystics 70:80, New York Liberty 81:85 and Phoenix Mercury 87:94 in their last three matches. They sit sixth with 15 wins from 40 games, while the Sun are seventh with 10 victories.