Riaan 
Lapho ebuzwa kanjani abakwaSparks bebezolungiselela umpetha ovikelayo Las Vegas Aces, Layshia Clarendon ephendula ngezibhakela.
Umakadebona wonogada wababamba emoyeni wagwajaza.
“Bathathele impi,” kusho uClarendon.
Esebenzisa isandla esifushane futhi ebonakala edlula izintandokazi zompetha, abakwa-Sparks balwele a 94-85 ukulahlekelwa e-Crypto.com Arena ngoLwesine, iletha ukugunyazwa kwangaphambi kwesikhathi kwesizini komqeqeshi wonyaka wokuqala UCurt MillerYakha kabusha.
Ngonyaka odlule, i-Sparks (1-1) yayizogoqa ku-matchup ephukile, ikakhulukazi ngaphandle kwesihlabani uNneka Ogwumike, ophuthelwe umdlalo ngenxa yokugula okungeyona i-COVID. Manje sekunemidlalo emibili nje kuphela esikhathini sikaMiller, iSparks ibukeka njengebhizinisi elivuselelwe kabusha.
“Akukho ukunqoba kokuziphatha,” kusho uMiller. “Kodwa njengomdlalo oyisisekelo kanye nenqubo yokwakha nathi, angikwazi ukuziqhenya ngokuncintisana kwethu kanye nokulwa kwethu.”
Ibhekene neqembu elinqobe umdlalo walo wokuvula isizini ngamaphuzu angu-41, iSparks ithole isibhakela sokuqala. Ibamba lomqeqeshi we-Aces, uNatalie Nakase, obehola ibhentshi emdlalweni wesibili u-Becky Hammon emiswe imidlalo emibili, umise kungakapheli nemizuzu emithathu umdlalo uqalile ngesikhathi i-Sparks idlalisa kanzima iphoqe amabhola amabili asheshe yaphenduka yahamba phambili ngo 9-4.
Ngesikhathi i-Aces (2-0) ixhuma ku-haymaker wayo wokuqala ukunqamula amaphuzu angu-12 eSparks kwehlela kwamane njengoba kusasele u-2:13 ngekota yesibili, i-Sparks ibuyise amaphuzu ayisishiyagalombili elandelana, kuhlanganisa nahlanu kaChiney Ogwumike.
U-Ogwumike uhole iSparks ngamaphuzu angu-19. Unogada u-Lexie Brown ube namaphuzu angu-15 ekudubuleni okuyisithupha kweyisishiyagalolunye, okuhlanganisa nokuhlanu kwamahlanu aphelele esiwombeni sokuqala, esiza iqembu ukuthi lihambe phambili ngamaphuzu angu-10 ngesikhathi sekhefu.
Kodwa ngesikhathi kubusa umdlali obaluleke kakhulu u-A’ja Wilson uthole umfutho kwesesithathu ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalombili, i-Aces yathola ukulawula. Ukuhola akukaze kukhule kube kukhulu kune-10.
“Leli yiqembu elithengwayo,” kusho uChiney Ogwumike. “Abantu abaningi babuza, ‘Sizoba obani kulo nyaka?’ Futhi manje abantu sebeqala ukubona ukuthi singobani: Singabadlali abadlala ngenhliziyo futhi abalwa. “
UWilson, ngemuva kokuqala okubili kwe-10 enkundleni, uqede enamaphuzu ayi-19 kanye nama-rebound ayi-13. UJackie Young uhole i-Aces ngamaphuzu angu-30. Izihlabani zangaphambili ze-Sparks u-Candace Parker kanye no-Chelsea Grey babuyele e-LA beno-10 no-16, ngokulandelana.
Ngemuva kokuthi uParker ethuse iligi ngokujoyina ompetha abavikela isicoco njengeqembu elikhululekile, i-Aces yabe isithathwa njengentandokazi yesicoco ngesikhathi seqembu elikhulu leWNBA. Ogwini oluphambene, iNew York izingela ubuqhawe bayo bokuqala noBreanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu noJonquel Jones.
Kepha i-debut yaseNew York yawela phansi ngokuhlulwa ngama-80-64 kuWashington Mystics ngempelasonto evula. Umphumela ophambene ukhombisile ukuthi i-hype yesizini yokuqala ayanele ukunqoba imidlalo.
“Iphepha aliwi,” kusho uMiller. “Akuwona amaqembu anekhono kakhulu anqoba izicoco kule ligi, ngamaqembu aphile saka.”
USparks, ozophinde abhekane ne-Aces ngoMgqibelo eLas Vegas, uselude ukhalo okumele aluhambe aze abe nempilo ephelele. Unogada wasephoyinti u-Jasmine Thomas, owaklebhula i-anterior cruciate ligament ngoMeyi 2022 ngenkathi ene-Connecticut Sun, usephinde wasebenza ngokuzivivinya, kodwa akakaqhubekeli emsebenzini wesihlanu kwayisihlanu. Umgadli u-Azurá Stevens, osayine ku-Sparks’ No. 1 mahhala, usalele emuva ngenxa yokulimala eqolo, kusho uMiller kuleli sonto.
