Led by a strong fourth quarter from Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby, the Sparks picked up a must-win game over the Mystics on Sunday, 81-78.
Dearica Hamby had 20 points and 12 rebounds to notch another double-double. Kelsey Plum struggled to make an impact offensively for the first three quarters before coming alive in the fourth. She finished with 18 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Rickea Jackson continued her strong second half of the season, pouring in 16 points and serving as the lone bright
spot from range for the Sparks with four 3-pointers.
With just six games left in the season and the Sparks on the outside looking in of the playoffs, every game is a must-win for LA, particularly against this Washington side that had lost six straight games coming into the night.
Azurá Stevens was relatively quiet offensively with nine points but grabbed 12 rebounds. Rae Burrell was one of the few sparks off the bench, notching six points and two assists. Cameron Brink had five points, two assists, two rebounds and a block in 13 minutes, but shot just 2-8 from the field.
Jackson and Plum opened the game with 3-pointers before an Allemand layup forced a Mystics timeout after just over three minutes. The break did nothing to slow the Sparks down as they scored the first 12 points of the game and held Washington scoreless for five minutes.
LA controlled the remainder of the quarter, even as Washington had a predictable spurt offensively. Still, the Sparks ended the period comfortably in control of the game, leading 22-11.
However, a complete capitulation to open the second quarter saw Washington go on an 11-0 run to tie the game, taking advantage of some head-scratching Sparks turnovers. The Sparks stopped the run and did not trail, eventually opening the lead back to seven points after a 3-pointer from Jackson and layups from Hamby and Stevens.
A nifty finger roll from Burrell made it a nine-point lead late in the half for the Sparks as the hosts led 40-31 at the break.
After a back-and-forth opening to the second half, Stevens canned a transition 3-pointer to make it a nine-point lead for the Sparks. A layup from Hamby and a corner 3-pointer from Brink on successive possessions pushed the advantage to double digits once again at 50-38, leading to a Mystics timeout.
Another Mystics run, though, closed the deficit back to five points. Jackson knocked down her fourth three of the night — after a very friendly roll — to stop the skid for the Sparks, helping LA head into the final frame up 55-49.
Washington, though, kept pushing and opened the fourth quarter as they did the second with a huge run to eventually take the lead. The aforementioned Jackson long-range make was the only points in an 18-3 run by the Mystics as a Stefanie Dolson 3-pointer gave Washington the lead.
A pair of Plum freebies and a putback layup from Stevens restored LA’s advantage, setting up a nervy fourth quarter. Plum tied the game with a layup, set up Hamby for an and-one layup, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers, pushing the Sparks ahead 71-65.
She then knocked down another pair of free throws before Burrell helped convert an Allemand steal into a layup, opening up the lead to eight points. Plum found Hamby for another and-one after an acrobatic layup.
Kiki Iriafen knocked down a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to make it a five-point game, but Hamby’s driving layup with 20 seconds left sealed the victory.
Takeaways
It has been the case all season, but carelessness with the ball continues to plague the Sparks, particularly in big moments. Washington’s runs were often fueled or amplified by bad turnovers from LA.
Another issue for the Sparks has been bench production, which was magnified by the Mystics outscoring them 31-14 in points from reserves. That should probably be a priority in the offseason.
Fair play to the Sparks, who are in must-win mode and answered the bell in the fourth, even if against a completely reeling Mystics team.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
