LOS ANGELES — Urgency. Defensive energy, effort, and most importantly, execution.
“We’re not in a situation to overlook anyone,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said before the game.
Kelsey Plum took Coach Roberts’ message to heart and scored six consecutive points down the stretch to lift the Sparks to a much-needed 92-88 win over the Connecticut Sun at Crypto.com Arena Sunday. Plum finished with a team-high 23 points, including 18 points in the second half.
“I was just trying to be patient and trust that it’s going to come and then just try to be an assassin and strike,” Plum said.
Sparks center Azurá Stevens had 21 points, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, and 11 rebounds. Rickea Jackson had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Dearica Hamby added 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Stevens made both free throws with 6.4 to go to seal the victory as the Sparks improved to 7-14 overall.
“I think it just shows growth,” Stevens said. “Like Coach said, we weren’t rattled. They came back and hit some runs but we found a way to answer and I think it shows maturity and growth. I think throughout the season we’ve seen that sometimes when we get punched by teams we tend to crumble but I think (Sunday) we stuck together and we came back and got stops and came down and put the pressure on them offensively so I think it shows maturity and growth for our team.”
Meanwhile, Plum, Stevens, Jackson and Hamby combined for 80 of the team’s 92 points. Sparks starting point guard Julie Allemand finished with five points and six assists. Sparks forward Rae Burrell was the only reserve to score and added seven points off the bench.
The Sun (3-18) was led by guard Bria Hartley with 25 points. Rookie guard Saniya Rivers had 20 points. Jacy Sheldon had 11 points. Aneesah Morrow added 10 points off the bench.
“If we’re not hungry, then we’ve got a problem,” Roberts continued.
The Sparks trailed 49-47 at halftime and responded by starting the third quarter on a 10-1 run. Stevens’ 3-pointer put the Sparks up 50-49. Stevens drained another 3-pointer to go up 53-50. Stevens’ put back made it 55-50.
“I just try to come out and be aggressive, get into spots where my teammates can just hit me and then knock shots down,” Stevens explained when asked about her scoring eight straight points.
Plum’s up-and-under layup pushed the Sparks’ lead to 57-50.
However, the Sun battled back and tied the game at 67 on a layup by rookie guard Leïla Lacan. Burrell’s layup with 9.8 seconds left in the third gave the home team a 69-67 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Burrell scored seven points off the bench.
“Overall, I thought we stayed in it,” Roberts explained. “I never sensed the team get tight or out of the flow of it. Everybody is going to make runs and they did and we answered.”
Sun center Tina Charles, who finished with only nine points, made both free throws, which tied the game at 69 early in the fourth. Burrell’s mid-range jump shot put the Sparks back up 71-69.
Hartley made both free throws and tied the game at 71 with 8:31 to go. Plum’s 3-pointer made it 74-71. Stevens’ stepback corner 3-pointer extended it to 77-71. Allemand’s 3-pointer made it 80-74.
However, Rivers was a constant thorn in the Sparks’ side, especially in the fourth. Rivers poured eight points in clutch time, which kepy the Sun within striking distance.
“We have to win games, so it’s not like we are position where we can give up games,” Sun first-year coach Rachid Meziane said before the game. “We are completely focused on each game we have to play until the All-Star break.”
Meanwhile, Sun guard Marina Mabrey, a Sparks 2019 second-round pick, missed the game with a left knee injury. Mabrey, the team’s second leading scorer, is averaging 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. However, even when she’s sidelined, she’s often called upon to be a leader off the court.
Sparks’ 2022 second-round pick center Olivia Nelson-Ododa had six points and three rebounds in 24 minutes for the Sun before fouling out with 1:28 left in the game.
Meanwhile, Sparks’ second-year forward Cameron Brink did not play as she continues to rehabilitate her left knee injury, which ended her rookie campaign 15 games into the season. Coach Roberts said she’s hopeful Brink will return by the end of this month.
The Sparks trailed 30-27 at the end of the first quarter. The Sun shot 65% from the field, draining 13 of 20 attempts early.
The Sparks trailed 49-41 with 1:46 left in the second quarter. However, they ended the first half on a 6-0 run and trailed 49-47 at halftime. Jackson had 17 points in the first half. Hamby had 13 points in the first half.
The Sun shot 50% in the game on 34 of 68 attempts. The Sparks, who scored 50 points in the paint in the game, shot 46.7% overall (35 of 75).
UP NEXT
The Sparks will host Washington (11-10) on Tuesday, July 15. It will be the Sparks’ first time playing the Mystics this season. It will be the last game before the WNBA’s All-Star Game, which takes place on Saturday, July 19 in Indianapolis.
I’m breaking down the LA Sparks 92-88 win vs. the Connecticut Sun.
Sparks starters Kelsey Plum, Azura Stevens, Rickea Jackson & Dearica Hamby combined for 80 of the team’s 92 points.
Sun guards Bria Hartley and Saniya Rivers combined for 45 points but Tina Charles only had 9. pic.twitter.com/xKJb0IIhQ5
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 14, 2025
Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts pregame media availability before Sparks host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
Coach Lynne Roberts on Sparks rookie Sania Feagin getting playing time after Mercedes Russell was waived. #basketball #wnba #lasparks pic.twitter.com/9BST7VFzkG
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 13, 2025