The Los Angeles Sparks staged a furious late rally but ultimately ran out of time, falling 87-78 to the Indiana Fever at home on Tuesday night.

For most of the game, it looked bleak for the Sparks. They trailed by as many as 21 points midway through the third quarter, with the Fever holding a commanding 60-39 lead. But Los Angeles refused to quit, chipping away until the deficit was down to just seven with over a minute remaining.

The Sparks had a chance to cut it to four, but Kelsey Plum's three-point attempt missed its mark. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell then iced the game with a clutch layup, sealing the road win for Indiana.

One of the biggest storylines was Los Angeles' struggles from beyond the arc. The Sparks shot just 2-for-15 (13.3%) from three-point range—a statistic that head coach Lynne Roberts found particularly troubling.

"The concerning thing is we only took 15," Roberts said. "That means we're not... I need to watch the film to see why. But we need to be shooting more than that. In a spaced-out offense, we've got to be able to knock down more threes. Maybe we're a little rushed or they're not getting them in the spots they're used to. It's a work in progress."

Despite the loss, there were bright spots. Cameron Brink bounced back with a strong performance, and her defensive energy was a key factor in the Sparks' late surge.

"I'm a defensive-minded player, so I feel like that's what gets me going," Brink said. "If I'm super locked in and just loud and talking on defense, I feel like that can fuel the team. I'm really proud of the way we fought back today. We're getting better."

Plum, who finished with a team-high 20 points, acknowledged the offensive struggles but remained focused on the bigger picture.

"I was more frustrated with myself in the turnovers and trying to figure out the spacing and the timing," Plum said. "There were a lot of possessions where someone thinks they're going here, you go here. Or something gets tipped, or the rhythm is off. We've been really good at cutting in the past, and I think we haven't really done that. That leads to a lot of catch-and-shoot threes, which is high percentage. We are not getting those."

The loss drops the Sparks to 0-2 on the young season, but the fight they showed in the fourth quarter offers a glimpse of what this team could become once the chemistry clicks. For fans watching at home, it's clear that when this team finds its rhythm—and starts knocking down those threes—they'll be a dangerous opponent.