Plum Makes History, but Sparks Fall Short Against Toronto Tempo
It was a night of historic milestones and high efficiency shooting at Crypto.com Arena, but the Los Angeles Sparks (1-3) couldn't quite close the gap, falling 106-96 to the Toronto Tempo (2-2). Despite a scorching 51.6% shooting night and a dominant 48-38 advantage in the paint, LA struggled to contain Toronto’s rhythm in a high-scoring affair.
The Kelsey Plum Show
If there was any doubt about Kelsey Plum’s impact in LA, she’s silencing it one record at a time. Plum led all scorers with 28 points and 7 assists, scoring 20 of those in the second half alone.
With this performance, Plum became the only player in WNBA history to start a season with four straight games of 25+ points while shooting 55% or better. She now joins elite company A’ja Wilson, Lauren Jackson, and Penny Taylor as the only players to ever hit that efficiency mark over a four game stretch.
“We’re not in rhythm offensively right now,” said Head Coach Lynne Roberts. “It makes KP have to do too much, and she was phenomenal today, but we got to have other people share the load and be fearless and move the ball.”
Legends and Milestones
The night also belonged to Nneka Ogwumike, who continues to cement her legacy in the purple and gold. Nneka finished with 17 points and 7 boards, but the real story was at the charity stripe. In the third quarter, she officially surpassed Candace Parker for second place in Sparks history for career free throws made.
Dearica Hamby was equally relentless, turning in a near double-double with 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting and 9 rebounds. Her energy on both ends including a team high three steals kept the Sparks within striking distance during a massive third quarter push.
The Next Gen Step Up
While the veterans handled the heavy lifting, the Sparks’ depth showed flashes of brilliance:
Kate Martin provided a massive spark off the bench, finishing with a team high +9 rating and 11 points (including three triples).
Cameron Brink continues to be a problem on the defensive end, swatting two blocks in the first six minutes of the game. She has now recorded 2+ blocks in 19 of her first 38 career games.
Jihyun Park officially entered the stat sheet, scoring her first WNBA points in the second quarter.
Turning the Corner
The Sparks actually outshot the Tempo in the second half, hitting 60% of their looks. The ball was moving, too LA’s 14 first half assists were a season high. However, a mid third quarter 11-3 run by Toronto proved to be the difference maker, extending the lead to 16 and forcing LA into catch up mode.
LA showed heart late, shooting 61% in the final frame, but the clock simply ran out on the comeback.
UP NEXT: The Sparks head out for their first road trip of the season to take on the Phoenix Mercury on May 21. LA will look to carry that second half shooting efficiency into the desert and get back in the win column.