The Los Angeles Sparks almost threw away a sure thing Wednesday night, but fought hard to walk out with an 81–80 victory over the Dallas Wings — and they needed every ounce of determination to ward off Paige Bueckers’ monstrous 44-point performance.
Kelsey Plum = Clutch Gene
When it mattered most, Kelsey Plum came through. With the game hanging in the balance and the shot clock running out, Plum banked in the game-winner to seal the deal. She finished with 20 points and 4 rebounds, once again cementing her legacy as a player who “lives for the moment.”
Rickea Jackson Sets the Tone
Rickea came out guns blazing, scoring 12 of her 25 points in the first quarter alone. She added five triples, 5 boards, and 2 steals for a true two-way masterclass.
The Supporting Cast Shows Up
Dearica Hamby: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists — steady as ever.
Cameron Brink: 11 points, 8 rebounds — her confidence is clearly growing.
Azurá Stevens: Glue game with 5 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Julie Vanloo: 5 points and key playmaking minutes off the bench.
The Bueckers Problem
While LA spread the love, Bueckers put the Wings on her back. She lit up the Sparks from deep, scored in buckets and kept Dallas in control late. She finished with a season-high 44 points, nearly pulling off the upset.
The third quarter was all Dallas, capped by an 18–7 run from Bueckers that had Sparks staring at a 7-point deficit heading into the fourth. Even then, she wouldn’t let go, burying clutch 3’s and hitting a late technical free throw to put Dallas up with just over a minute to go. But credit LA? Plum stole it back.
Clutch Crunch Takeaways
Rickea is the gift that keeps on giving. Her offensive arsenal has leveled up and she’s carrying stretches like a vet.
Cam Brink is figuring it out every single night. Not perfect, but her presence is undeniable.
Consistency still matters. The Sparks can’t afford to go cold for long stretches if they want to make a push at the playoffs.
Paige Bueckers is already a problem. 44 points against a playoff caliber team? That you expect a star to do.
Bottom line: Paige Bueckers nearly set Crypto.com Arena on fire, but Kelsey Plum banked in enough clutch bucket to keep the Sparks moving forward. It’s survival ball in LA — and every game feels like a playoff war.
(The featured image above is attributed to “Benoît Prieur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons”. No changes were made thereto.)