On June 29th, under the lights of Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Sparks hosted the Chicago Sky for a game that was about far more than wins and losses. It was a celebration of greatness, a reminder of legacy, and a declaration that the next generation is ready.
Before the ball was tipped, the Sparks organization honored one of the most influential players in WNBA history: Candace Parker, who became the first player in Sparks history to have her jersey retired from the modern era. In front of a roaring 13,523 fans, two powerful forces collided: a celebration of past greatness and a glimpse into the league’s future.
The Los Angeles Sparks retired Candace Parker’s jersey marking her as one of the most impactful players to ever wear purple and gold while Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky delivered another dominant performance, leading her team to an 86–84 victory.
Candace Parker’s Legacy Immortalized
Before tip-off, all eyes were on Candace Parker as her No. 3 jersey ascended to the rafters.
“When I got drafted out here, it became home. I lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere else, and so it’s super important for me to be able to see this jersey in the rafters before any of the other ones,” Parker shared in her press conference. “I think my 13 years here were super special. You know, it was ups, downs, wins, losses, heartbreaks, rewards, but I think it’s just super special to be able to share that with my teammates and coaches and the organization that bet on me and picked me first in the 2008 WNBA Draft.”
On what’s next for her career off the court, Parker added:
“I’m super grateful for playing the game for as long as I was able to play, but I know the game prepared me for this phase of life, so for sure, I want to be in an ownership position, but I also want to continue to impact the game on this side. So doing that alongside Adidas has been super special for me as the President of Women’s Basketball.”
She also reflected on her place in a generational movement:
“I think to see where women’s sports is, as a society, we should be proud, because I think we need women in leadership positions, and that’s the best way to do it through sport and giving it a chance… I can tell my kids that as a little girl and a little boy, you can dream it, and you can do and accomplish anything.”
The Angel Effect
Angel Reese put on a show for Chicago, dominating every stat line: 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists. It was her eighth straight double-double—a feat that continues to push her into elite territory.
Sparks Head Coach Lynne Roberts knew the challenge of facing Reese. “Angel Reese is unbelievable on the rebounds. And you can talk about it, and you can watch it, and you can drill it. There’s no way to duplicate it, to prepare… Her motor is so high, and I have a lot of respect for her as a competitor… Try not to let her get as many rebounds as she did last time. You know, you have to meet her early. You have to make the first hit, I think that’s the big thing. You can’t just turn and think you have position, so therefore I can get it, because she’ll beat you to it. So we have to make that first hit and it’s also a collective effort…”
The Sky improved to 5–11, while the Sparks fell to 5–12—but the story of the night extended far beyond the final score.
Sparks of Brilliance
The Sparks battled hard. Kelsey Plum led the way with 22 points and 7 assists, including a career-high 12 free throws, going 100% from the line. Dearica Hamby delivered a complete performance with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, earning her 47th career double-double. Off the bench, Emma Cannon provided a surge of energy, scoring a season-high 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Hamby spoke about the physicality of the game: “I think it’s always physical, and I think both ways it was physical tonight. I feel like I was more intentional in being assertive, demanding my spots and getting hit from the high-low from my teammates. Obviously, we’d love to have a win. If I can consistently play like that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
Her thoughts turned personal when asked about Candace Parker’s influence: “Candace [Parker]’s always been a mentor for me in that way. She made being a mom cool, and that it was possible to do both… I got drafted after not expecting to really play basketball after college and… [When] having your first kid, you don’t really know what to expect [or] if you can continue to play. She’s always… inspiring me in that way. I’m grateful for her and our friendship.”
Cannon echoed that impact: “For me, [Candace Parker] made it cool, not just to be a parent, but also to be a post player and be able to shoot the three, and bring the ball up, and not just be put in the box. She allowed me to broaden my game, and I love that, and I appreciate her for that.”
She also reflected on her own performance: “I always stay ready so I don’t have to get ready. It’s tough, but I feel like every loss is a lesson, and I feel like we’re still building, and we’re gonna get to where we need to be, but we just have to take these losses, and we have to turn them into something positive.”
Still, she acknowledged what’s missing: “I just feel like we have to learn how to finish games, and it’s not necessarily what the other team does, it’s just about us actually digging in and buying in and finishing it. That’s something that we’re working on. We’ve been playing a great 30 minutes, but we have to put it all together.”
A Franchise in Transition
Coach Roberts, speaking candidly postgame, made it clear that the Sparks are still in progress.
“I don’t think we’re close. We’re still missing Rae Burrell, we’re still missing Cameron Brink. Those guys will be back, Rae will be back soon. Cameron will be back soonish, maybe? That’s a good way to say it. Part of our inconsistency on the floor has been inconsistency with our roster, so we’ve had people in and out and hurt and that’s hard. But… we’re learning from it, and we’re getting tougher because of it. So have we come close to peaking? No, I don’t think so.”
When asked if this was a “must-win” game, she clarified: “When I say must-win, I mean like it’s not over, the season’s not done. I just mean there has to be an intensity of, like, we gotta approach this thing, we gotta have it. Build on the last win. That kind of thing. So I don’t want to get that misconstrued as to what I meant. I know I said that, but my intention with that [was] we just gotta be tougher. We’ve got to be tougher — sustained runs, handle adversity, handle performance issues, or bad calls. In this league, the tougher team wins, and I don’t just mean physically.”
And her mindset moving forward? “When you’re hit with adversity, you lose or you don’t perform the way you want to, it’s a choice as to how you approach it. There is no magic formula. You either choose to learn and look in the mirror, myself included, and say, ‘All right, where can I be better? Where did I fall short?’… I’m not going to change in terms of my mentality. The sun’s going to come up tomorrow. We’re going to attack.”
Looking Ahead
The Sparks now prepare for a tough two-game road trip, starting with a matchup against the New York Liberty on Thursday, July 3 (4 p.m. PT), followed by a trip to Indianapolis to take on the Fever on Saturday, July 5.
In a season defined by growth and adversity, Saturday’s loss was a reminder of how far this team still has to go—but also of what it’s building toward. With Candace Parker’s jersey hanging above them and Angel Reese showing what’s next, the message is clear: The future of women’s basketball is powerful, personal, and just getting started.
