Recap: Sparks spoil Lindsay Whalen’s jersey retirement ceremony in 89-85 win over Lynx

The Los Angeles Sparks (3-2) defeated the Minnesota Lynx (4-2) 89-85 Saturday afternoon on the road, putting a damper on Lindsay Whalen’s jersey retirement that afternoon.

Though the Lynx lost, they still pulled out all the stops to give their former starting point guard a proper send-off. Here is a tribute video the Lynx made for her before the game:

Players from the Lynx and the WNBA also gave their congratulations. Here is just a very small sample:

So what about the game itself?

Riquna Williams led the Sparks with 25 points off the bench, where she shot 7-of-16 from the field and 4-of-9 from the three-point line. Chelsea Gray added 21 points and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt added 17 more for Los Angeles.

For Minnesota, Lexie Brown scored 21 points off the bench, while Sylvia Fowles had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Napheesa Collier added 18 points.

Los Angeles won the game by just four points, but they were in control for most of the game. They were able to race out to a 13-point lead in the second quarter and led by as many as ten points in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Lynx had their moments, especially late, as they made several spectacular shots to keep things interesting.

Nevertheless, Gray came up with a clutch basket with just 8.5 seconds left to close out the victory for L.A. on the road.

Unfortunately, the Lynx also lost more than just the game earlier on Saturday. Jessica Shepard injured her right leg while attempting a layup in the fourth quarter. She left and did not return.

It’s unclear how serious the injury is, but hopefully, she won’t have to miss much time.

Next up for the Lynx

The Lynx will travel to New York next Wednesday to play against the Liberty (0-4). Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET.

Next up for the Sparks

The Sparks will go on the road to play the Mercury (1-2) on Friday, June 14. Tipoff is at 10 p.m. ET.