Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Las Vegas put an end to their winning ways this week, beating them convincingly thanks to a dominant performance by A’ja Wilson.
If fans were concerned that their five-game winning streak was an anomaly, the Sparks calmed those concerns by going on the road and beating the Storm in the first double overtime game of the WNBA season.
A couple of things have become abundantly clear about the 2025 Sparks.
For one, they will keep winning games and have the talent to make the playoffs
if things break right. The second takeaway is that the rotation is razor-thin, consisting of just the starters and a couple of bench players.
While having a playoff-like depth chart in the regular season is tough, the players have proven they can get the results needed.
So, let’s grade this week’s performances. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
Kelsey Plum
42.4 minutes, 22 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 14-33 FG, 2-13 3PT, 14-15 FT, -14
When it comes to players, head coach Lynne Roberts trusts Plum is at the top of the list. She played more minutes than anyone on the team this week and while there were some shooting inefficiencies, Plum is who you want on the floor.
Grade: B+
Dearica Hamby
33.5 minutes, 18 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 15-29 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-11 FT, -15
Across both games this week, Hamby was spectacular. She led the team in rebounding, and her shooting from the charity stripe has improved. Hamby played every minute of the two overtime periods against the Storm, and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Grade: B+
Rickea Jackson
40.4 minutes, 16.5 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 13-33 FG, 0-7 3PT, 7-7 FT, 0
Jackson has taken her game to another level in July and in L.A.’s first matchup of August, that standard continues. She has kept her scoring up, and her rebounding numbers have increased.
Against Seattle, she made clutch baskets time and time again, including the final Sparks field goal in regulation, which forced overtime.
Rickea Jackson steady pressure all night long.
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) August 2, 2025
27 PTS | 9 REB | 5-5 FT pic.twitter.com/iMkFloViyP
There isn’t much more you can ask Jackson to do to help improve the Sparks.
Grade: A+
Julie Allemand
35 minutes, 4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.5 steals, 3-14 FG, 1-9 3PT, 1-2 FT, -4
This wasn’t a great week for Allemand. She struggled scoring on all three levels her assist totals were down and her turnovers were up.
Overall, this isn’t a cause for concern. Allemand has been a beacon of consistency and just had a pair of games where she performed below her typical standard of play.
Grade: C
Azurá Stevens
31.4 minutes, 15 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.5 blocks, 11-21 FG, 4-8 3PT, 4-4 FT, -26
Stevens is having a career year so her standard has been raised for the rest of the season. Given her new normal, this week was one where you got what you should expect from Stevens.
She shot well from 3-point range, rebounded and took on her defensive assignments with aggression, not apprehension.
Grade: B
Rae Burrell
21.8 minutes, 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 7-14 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-3 FT, +4
Burrell is playing more than any other bench player for the Sparks. Her role is set in stone as an offensive producer who can give L.A. a scoring boost and some rest for the starters.
So long as she keeps her shooting percentages on the right side of 50%, Burrell is doing everything she needs to do to help this team win.
Grade: B+
Cameron Brink
12.8 minutes, 6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 2 blocks, 4-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, -1
Brink is back and quickly finding her groove. Defensively, she had some nice stints against Wilson in L.A.’s matchup against Las Vegas and she had an even stronger defensive showcase in the win over Seattle.
Offensively, her numbers are already improving and if she can defend without fouling, it won’t be long before Brink is playing 20-plus minutes per game.
Grade: B+
Julie Vanloo
Vanloo did not play enough minutes to warrant a grade. She played 7.7 minutes across both games.
Lynne Roberts
Roberts had no answer for Wilson, but when the former MVP is playing at that level, no one really does.
Her rotations are a bit tight, but she’s maximizing the limited options she has. Roberts drew up some great scoring options against the Storm, and she’s been doing that all season long for the Sparks.
a few possessions i enjoyed from late last night https://t.co/f0GsdfQJsI pic.twitter.com/wzGW5Upyby
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) August 2, 2025
The implementation of Brink has been smooth and a positive for the team. With wins increasing and individual players performing well, Roberts is quietly having a great rookie season as a WNBA head coach.
Grade: A
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
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