The Sparks kept their tiny bit of playoff hopes alive with a 91-77 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday afternoon.
While Indiana won on Sunday to clinch a playoff spot, the Sparks can still make the playoffs if they win out and Seattle loses to the Valkyries on Tuesday.
Julie Allemand had a career-high 21 points on perfect 8-8 shooting from the field with five steals. Dearica Hamby had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Rae Burrell provided a huge spark off the bench, particularly in the fourth quarter, finishing
with 13 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds. Azurá Stevens had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Kelsey Plum had 12 points and Rickea Jackson had 11.
Cameron Brink chipped in six points and nine rebounds off the bench.
The Sparks came out strong, building an early five-point cushion led by an aggressive Jackson. The Wings had a balanced attack with three players scoring two points apiece. As a team, LA played excellent defense with three steals contributing to a 7-0 run.
Allemand pitched in with a quick five points to extend the scoring run as Dallas continued to struggle getting the ball in the hoop.
Dallas finally put more points on the board with a layup from Haley Jones. Amy Okonkwo had a big impact for Dallas with four points. Paige Bueckers did not take a shot all quarter.
Los Angeles ended the first on a positive note with Jackson converting on a fadeaway. At the end of the period, the purple and gold were up by seven.
The second quarter started with a midrange shot from Brink. Stevens was cooking offensively for LA with 11 points, the first Spark to score in double figures for the half.
A 3-pointer from Plum caused Dallas to call a timeout as the lead had ballooned to 12 for Los Angeles. Out of the break, Bueckers scored on a reverse layup.
Hamby drained a 3-pointer, which was just her second shot of the half. Bueckers was cooking in this quarter with eight points, helping Dallas cut into the deficit. At halftime, LA was up by nine.
The Wings started the second half by scoring seven quick points. They had made it a two-point game until Hamby answered with a layup. Dallas then tied the game with a jumper from Maddy Siegrist.
Myisha Hines-Allen knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Wings up by one. Brink answered back with a layup. LA missed quite a few shots that could have had them ahead by even more.
After a layup from Allemand, all five starters were officially in double figures for LA.
The Wings had taken the lead after a 3-pointer from Okonkwo, but Allemand continued her hot shooting with a clutch 3-pointer to put LA back up by two going into the final frame.
Burrell drained a 3-pointer to start things off for Los Angeles in the fourth quarter. Both her and Hamby also converted on a three-point play each. Burrell’s infectious energy off the bench provided a massive boost for the team.
She converted on a layup and it forced a timeout by Dallas. Burrell then knocked down another 3-pointer, keeping all the momentum with Los Angeles, who was now up by 16.
Allemand scored on another layup and was a perfect 7-7 from the field. She then converted on a three-point play, giving her 21 points, which was a career high.
At the 2:28 mark, benches were emptied.
Key Takeaways:
LA had five turnovers in the first half and ended the game with nine. They played a pretty clean game.
Burrell is the heart and soul of the team.
It was nice to see Stevens break out of a slump. She’s been essential all season long to the team’s successes.
The Sparks’ next game will be Tuesday against the Phoenix Mercury at 7:00 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
