Fourth-Quarter Fight: Sparks Grind Out Win in Indiana
The Los Angeles Sparks grinded out a hard fought 89-87 win on the road against the Indiana Fever Saturday night snapping their losing streak and showing what resilience looks like when the pressure’s on.
From the very first possession, it was clear LA came to play. Dearica Hamby got things started with a layup off a Rickea Jackson assist, and the Sparks stayed aggressive from there. Kelsey Plum hit a three midway through the quarter that not only tied the game it tied her with Maya Moore and Arike Ogunbowale for 17th all time in WNBA three pointers made.
By the end of the first, Azurá Stevens and Hamby had already set the tone, combining for 13 points and helping LA stay close in a quarter that saw five lead changes and six ties.
The second quarter brought sparks off the bench literally. Mercedes Russell scored the first five points of the quarter, while Vanloo dished out a smooth assist and Plum continued her hot hand from deep. The Sparks took care of the ball too, with just one turnover in the entire second quarter.
At the half, LA trailed by three (45-42), but they weren’t done yet.
Third Quarter Fire
The Sparks flipped a switch in the third. Hamby came out aggressive, and Stevens hit a clutch three to cut the lead to one. LA didn’t miss a single shot from beyond the arc in the quarter 5 for 5 from deep with big time buckets from Stevens, Allemand, and Plum, whose three in the final seconds gave the Sparks a 70-67 lead heading into the fourth.
Closing Time: Rickea Jackson Steps Up
With the game on the line, the Sparks locked in. Stevens opened the fourth with a jumper, and Hamby found Jackson cutting to the rim to keep the game within reach. A couple of possessions later, Stevens assisted Hamby on a layup to make it 84-83 Fever.
Then came Rickea Jackson time.
She knocked down a clutch three point play with 1:31 to go, and just seconds later, buried a jumper that gave LA the lead for good. The Sparks finished the game on a 6-0 run in the final 1:43, holding Indiana scoreless down the stretch to seal the win.
Takeaways:
Kelsey Plum passed Maya Moore, Arike Ogunbowale, and Renee Montgomery to take over 16th all time in WNBA threes made. She finished with 20 points and 4 triples.
Azurá Stevens dropped 21 points and 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
Dearica Hamby was everywhere with 18 points, 4 assists, and a key late steal.
Rickea Jackson had 15 points and a career high 5 assists, including 7 points in the fourth alone.
Julie Allemand had a season high 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Sparks recorded a season low 7 turnovers and dished out 22 assists as a team.
LA shot 49.2% from the field and 45.5% from three.
What They Said:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts praised her team’s toughness, saying:
"We were down eight in the fourth quarter, and our players didn’t flinch... that’s the sign of toughness and playing to win."
Kelsey Plum added:
"It was just really cool to see us be resilient... everyone took turns picking their spots. It was a great team win."
Azurá Stevens reflected on the growth:
"We just found a way to come back and punch it right back at them. I'm proud of us for fighting back and bouncing back after the New York loss."
What’s Next:
The Sparks head back to LA for a three game homestand before the All Star break. They’ll face:
Minnesota Lynx – July 10 at 12 PM PT
Connecticut Sun – July 13 at 3 PM PT
Washington Mystics – July 15 at 7 PM PT
This team is learning how to close and if they keep this same energy, more wins are coming.