2018 Los Angeles Sparks season

The 2018 Los Angeles Sparks season was the 22nd season for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season tipped off on May 20.

The Sparks started out strong with a 4–1 record in May. They won their season opener in a re-match of the 2017 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx. They continued their strong run into June where the team posted an 8–4 record. The Sparks won 6 of 7 to start the month. Two of their June losses game to the eventual WNBA Champion Seattle Storm. However, things started to get shaky in July. The Sparks went 4–6. However, all but one loss came to eventual playoff teams. The other loss was to Indiana, who ended the season with the worst record. The Sparks finished with a 4–4 record in August, including 3–0 at home. However, the Sparks lost 4 of their last 5 (again all against playoff teams).

Their final record of 19–15 was good enough to secure the 6th seed in the 2018 WNBA Playoffs. They met the Lynx in the first round, in a re-match of the last three WNBA Finals. The Sparks prevailed 75–68 at the Staples Center. In the second round, they faced the Washington Mystics in Washington, but were defeated 64–96 to end their season.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Trades/Roster Changes

Roster

Game log

Preseason

|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | May 7 | @ Connecticut | L 65–68 | Thomas (17) | Thomas (8) | Pondexter (3) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br> | 0–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | May 8 | vs. New York | L 75–81 | Pondexter (17) | Wiese (9) | Pondexter (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>1,106 | 0–2 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 3 | May 12 | China | W 82–61 | Gray (17) | Carson (5) | Gray (10) | Hutto-Patterson Gym<br>1,650 | 1–2

Regular season

|- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 1 | May 20 | @ Minnesota | W 77–76 | Sims (21) | Ogwumike (9) | Gray (8) | Target Center<br>13,032 | 1–0 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 2 | May 22 | @ Indiana | W 87–70 | Ogwumike (25) | Ogwumike (10) | Gray (8) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse<br>4,742 | 2–0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | May 24 | @ Connecticut | L 94–102 | Gray (21) | Tied (4) | Sims (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>5,571 | 2–1 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 4 | May 27 | Phoenix | W 80–72 | Gray (23) | Ogwumike (8) | Gray (8) | Staples Center<br>11,201 | 3–1

|- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 5 | June 3 | Minnesota | W 77–69 | Parker (19) | Parker (10) | Gray (6) | Staples Center<br>13,500 | 4–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | June 7 | Seattle | L 63–88 | Ogwumike (19) | Ogwumike (6) | Sims (5) | Staples Center<br>9,204 | 4–2 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 7 | June 10 | Chicago | W 77–59 | Parker (24) | Ogwumike (8) | Sims (5) | Staples Center<br>8,239 | 5–2 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 8 | June 12 | Atlanta | W 72–64 | Parker (18) | Ogwumike (10) | Gray (7) | Staples Center<br>9,215 | 6–2 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 9 | June 15 | @ Washington | W 97–86 | Parker (23) | Parker (7) | Parker (11) | Capital One Arena<br>5,289 | 7–2 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 10 | June 17 | @ Chicago | W 81–72 | Gray (21) | Tied (11) | Gray (6) | Wintrust Arena<br>5,584 | 8–2 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 11 | June 19 | Indiana | W 74–55 | Parker (15) | Ogwumike (7) | Gray (7) | Staples Center<br>8,857 | 9–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 12 | June 22 | @ Dallas | L 72–101 | Ogwumike (17) | Parker (6) | Parker (6) | College Park Center<br>5,672 | 9–3 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 13 | June 24 | New York | 80–54 | Williams (25) | Ogwumike (10) | Gray (11) | Staples Center<br>9,203 | 10–3 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 14 | June 26 | Dallas | W 87–83 | Parker (29) | Vadeeva (6) | Parker (7) | Staples Center<br>10,002 | 11–3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 15 | June 28 | @ Seattle | L 72–81 | Parker (27) | Parker (11) | Parker (3) | KeyArena<br>8,447 | 11–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 | June 29 | @ Las Vegas | L 78–94 | Gray (22) | Vadeeva (7) | Beard (6) | Mandalay Bay Events Center<br>5,124 | 11–5

|- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 17 | July 1 | Las Vegas | W 87–71 | Lavender (17) | Ogwumike (7) | 3 Tied (6) | Staples Center<br>12,003 | 12–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 18 | July 3 | Connecticut | L 72–73 | Ogwumike (20) | Parker (8) | Parker (4) | Staples Center<br>6,280 | 12–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 19 | July 5 | @ Minnesota | L 72–83 | Parker (22) | Ogwumike (8) | Gray (8) | Target Center<br>9,303 | 12–7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | July 7 | Washington | L 74–83 | Gray (23) | Ogwumike (13) | Ogwumike (5) | Staples Center<br>10,163 | 12–8 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 21 | July 10 | @ Seattle | W 77–75 (OT) | Parker (21) | Tied (9) | Parker (10) | KeyArena<br>9,686 | 13–8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 22 | July 12 | Dallas | L 77–92 | Parker (21) | Parker (7) | Gray (5) | Staples Center<br>13,502 | 13–9 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 23 | July 15 | @ Las Vegas | W 99–78 | Parker (34) | Parker (11) | Parker (9) | Mandalay Bay Events Center<br>4,810 | 14–9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 24 | July 20 | Indiana | L 76–78 | Parker (24) | Parker (12) | Parker (7) | Staples Center<br>10,532 | 14–10 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 25 | July 22 | @ Chicago | W 93–76 | Parker (23) | Parker (12) | Gray (9) | Wintrust Arena<br>6,477 | 15–10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | July 24 | Atlanta | L 71–81 | Gray (18) | Parker (9) | Parker (5) | Staples Center<br>9,324 | 15–11

|- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 27 | August 2 | Minnesota | W 79–57 | Parker (23) | Parker (10) | Gray (9) | Staples Center<br>9,542 | 16-11 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 28 | August 5 | Phoenix | W 78–75 | Gray (24) | Parker (14) | Parker (8) | Staples Center<br>19,076 | 17-11 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 29 | August 8 | @ New York | W 82–81 | Gray (19) | Parker (8) | Parker (6) | Westchester County Center<br>2,481 | 18-11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 30 | August 9 | @ Atlanta | L 73–79 | Parker (20) | Parker (12) | Tied (4) | McCamish Pavilion<br>4,235 | 18-12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 31 | August 12 | @ Phoenix | L 78–86 | Parker (23) | Parker (8) | Sims (6) | Talking Stick Resort Arena<br>10,618 | 18-13 |- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 32 | August 14 | New York | W 74–66 | Gray (26) | Parker (10) | Gray (5) | Staples Center<br>11,067 | 19-13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 33 | August 17 | @ Washington | L 67–69 | Williams (14) | Tied (8) | Parker (7) | Capital One Arena<br>7,400 | 19-14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 34 | August 19 | @ Connecticut | L 86–89 | Parker (20) | Parker (10) | Gray (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>8,040 | 19-15

Playoffs

|- style="background:#bbffbb;" | 1 | August 21 | Minnesota | W 75–68 | Gray (26) | Parker (6) | Gray (6) | Staples Center<br>8,598 | 1–0

|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | August 23 | @ Washington | L 64–96 | Parker (16) | Parker (8) | 3 Tied (3) | Capital One Arena<br>3,548 | 1–1

Standings

Playoffs

Statistics

Regular season

Awards and honors

References

External links