After the win over the Mystics, Roberts told reporters, \u201cI\u2019m proud of these guys for sticking with the process, because it\u2019s hard. Adversity is hard. It challenges you, and it shows you what you\u2019re really made of. We\u2019re not done, but I do feel like [\u2026] things are starting to click.\u201d She noted that the team had 28 assists on 38 made baskets, mentioning the correlation with shot quality that she\u2019s been harping on since the start of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Sparks\u2019 99-point performance marked their highest scoring output of the season, as well as their most efficient, at 53.3% shooting from the floor. The 28 assists were hopefully a sign of the flow and rhythm to come. Even more reassuring, they turned the ball over just 10 times against the Mystics and 12 times against the Connecticut Sun<\/a> in the game prior, a departure from their 16.2 average on the season<\/a> (second to worst in the league).\u00a0<\/p>\n A huge reason behind the improvement in ball security is the return of guard Julie Allemand<\/a>, who has missed games due to both injury and EuroBasket conflicts. \u201cJulie has been unbelievable,\u201d Roberts said following the win over the Mystics. In the Sparks\u2019 two most recent games, Allemand has had 16 assists to only 1 turnover. <\/p>\n \u201cShe just calms us down,\u201d Roberts continued. \u201cShe was +22 and scored three points [against the Mystics], that\u2019s hard to do. Her value cannot be understated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n Here at The Next, in addition to the 24\/7\/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/a> podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n Allemand, who is playing in her first season for the Sparks, has been gradually increasing her usage. Her assist-to-turnover ratio on the season is 2.63:1, putting her at 10th in the WNBA on a team that has a turnover rate of 17.5%<\/a>, second to last in the league. She has become a key decision-maker in late-clock scenarios, where the Sparks previously struggled.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re starting to figure it out. Getting players healthy helps,\u201d said Roberts. \u201cGetting who we designed everything for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to Allemand, Roberts is speaking about Rae Burrell<\/a>, whose long-awaited return came on July 3. Since then, she\u2019s shown bursts of energy that have come to be her signature<\/a>. \u201cRae is just a firecracker,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cShe just comes in and brings life, plays with speed.\u201d<\/p>\n Overall, it\u2019s a different look than fans experienced to start the season. Now, they can only hope the final spot on the injured list is vacated soon with the return of Cameron Brink<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the Sparks still sit below the playoff line at 8\u201314, their past two weeks have offered the clearest version yet of what Roberts\u2019 system was designed to look like: quick pace, connected reads and low turnover margins. They look more disciplined, clearer on their vision, and healthier. Ahead of the All-Star break, Roberts told reporters that she would spend the time \u201c[figuring] out where we need to get better. To really take a look at it and figure out where our inefficiencies are and where we\u2019re doing well, and leaning on that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n While winning two games in a row may not sound like a huge turning point, it\u2019s no small feat for the Sparks. This is the first time they\u2019ve won two games in a row since June 7 and 9, 2024. The Sparks have already matched their win total from last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Sparks\u2019 sole All-Star, Kelsey Plum<\/a>, added, \u201cRemembering how these feelings feel, winning, playing super collectively. I thought tonight was our best,\u201d she said, referring to her team\u2019s pace, ability to share the ball, and physicality, and calling it a \u201cgreat opportunity\u201d to build.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou saw how badly we wanted this one. It\u2019s been a tough first part of the season, and it feels really good to play two games in a row and play well and to get a winning streak going,\u201d Roberts told reporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Sparks will take on the Washington Mystics again on Tuesday, hoping to extend their largest winning streak in the last two seasons even further.\u00a0<\/p>\n Your business can reach over 3 million women\u2019s sports fans every single month!<\/p>\n Here at The Next<\/a> and The IX<\/a>, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women\u2019s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at editors@thenexthoops.com<\/a> to discuss ways to work together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Throughout May and June, injuries, new coaching, and adjustments to those changes all contributed to a Sparks team…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27289,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[4384,23628,10504,3029,5483,10505,23629,99,8253,434],"class_list":["post-27288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-connecticut-sun","tag-julie-allemand","tag-kelsey-plum","tag-los-angeles-sparks","tag-lynne-roberts","tag-rae-burrell","tag-sparks","tag-sports","tag-washington-mystics","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27288"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27288\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Locked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753141991_801_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n