Roberts: Sparks must 'be mentally tougher' after dropping home opener

Turnovers and a 4th quarter Minnesota run served up a loss.

(Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

LOS ANGELES -- 11,170 fans filed into Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night in anticipation of the LA Sparks’ home opener, filled with hope after new acquisition Kelsey Plum dropped 37 points in their season-opening win on Friday.

But that optimism quickly faded when their opponent, last year’s championship runner-ups, the Minnesota Lynx, reminded them just how winding the road can be between plucky and powerful as they dispatched the Sparks, 89-75, behind a second-half flurry of defensive prowess and offensive wizardry.

“I thought we were right there and then, you know, they went on like an 8-0 run, and so it went from, I think we cut it to 4, and then suddenly it was 12, and that’s very different,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts told reporters following the team’s first loss of the season.

The Sparks turned the ball over 4 times in the third quarter, including a stretch that turned a 1-point Los Angeles lead into an 8-point deficit.

For the game, the Sparks were tabbed with 12 miscues, resulting in 15 Minnesota points.

“I think we’ve got to be mentally tougher, mentally tougher to handle—everybody’s good in this league,” Roberts added. “The margin for error is so small. You cannot let what happened on the last possession affect the current one. That’s where we’ve got to get better as a group, and just that ‘next play’ mentality.”

But Roberts remained positive, saying, “We’re two games in. I’m not stressed, like, ‘Oh my gosh, the sky’s falling.’ But we do have to get tougher. If we don’t get tougher, then it gets more concerning. But, again, I trust these guys and they want what I want. They want to win. It’ll happen.”