The Los Angeles Sparks retired DeLisha Milton-Jones' jersey in a halftime ceremony on Tuesday night, honoring the franchise legend who helped the team win its first two WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002. Despite the emotional tribute, the Sparks lost their sixth consecutive game, falling 113-109 to the New York Liberty at Crypto.com Arena.
Core Facts
The Sparks (10-17) trailed by 11 points with 3:30 remaining but rallied to within 112-109 on Nneka Ogwumike’s three-pointer with 15 seconds left. Breanna Stewart sealed the victory for New York (16-12) with a free throw. The Sparks had six players score in double figures, led by Rae Burrell’s 24 points and Ogwumike’s 21 points and nine assists. The Liberty were without three key players, including Stewart, who scored 29 points.
Deeper Context
Milton-Jones, who played her last game with the Sparks in 2012, expressed gratitude for the jersey retirement, admitting she had doubted it would happen. The Sparks previously retired the jerseys of Penny Toler, Lisa Leslie, and Candace Parker. Coach Lynne Roberts praised her team’s effort, noting they scored 30 points off turnovers and set a franchise record with 35 assists but fell short of a win.
The Sparks’ loss keeps them tied with the Portland Fire (11-17) for fifth place in the Western Conference, as the Fire also lost earlier Tuesday. The Liberty, despite missing key players, improved to 16-12 with the victory.