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Kelsey Plum scores 28 as Sparks fall to Brittney Sykes, Tempo

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LOS ANGELES — Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike combined for 66 points, but the Sparks could not overcome the expansion Toronto Tempo, which went 39 of 42 from the free-throw line, in a 106-96 loss at Crypto.com Arena Sunday.

Both teams combined for 59 fouls across 40 minutes of play. The Sparks were called for 32 personal fouls.

“Ugly,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “That was to watch.”

Plum had team-highs of 28 points and seven assists. Hamby had 21 points and nine rebounds. Ogwumike added 17 points and seven rebounds. Guard Kate Martin scored 11 points (3 of 6 from 3-point range) in 18 minutes off the bench.

“It felt good,” Martin said after her second game on the active roster as a development player. “I appreciate the team for welcoming me, making it an easy transition for me. But keeping the main thing, the main thing, want to win. I don’t really care how many points I score, we just want to win. I just want to win.”

“Kate was awesome,” Plum added. “I think she’s had amazing energy. I think too, she’s a super smart player so to come in and get thrown into the fire, expect a lot more of her. She can be super impactful for us and I’m excited to play with Money Martin again.”

The Sparks dropped to 1-3 at home and overall to start the season.

“We’ve got two options,” Roberts continued. “We can feel sorry for ourselves or we can fix it and that’s part of the process.”

Toronto improved to 2-2 overall. Former Sparks guard Brittney Sykes scored a game-high 38 points and went 15 for 15 from the charity stripe. Rookie Kiki Rice (UCLA) scored 19 points in her first career start. Former Sparks guard Marina Mabrey and Kia Nurse had 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Ogwumike’s 3-pointer cut it to 89-81 with 5:10 to go. Plum made both free throws to pull within 89-83. Sykes’ and-one, which caused Sparks forward Rae Burrell to foul out, put Toronto back up 92-83 with 4:17 to go.

Martin, who was signed by the Sparks on May 10, said she always makes a concerted effort to be a great teammate.

“That’s something in your control, is the energy and the attitude you bring every single day,” Martin continued. “And so it’s like why not pour into others. That’s always kind of been my mindset. Honestly, the best way to get out of your own head is to pour into somebody else.”

The Sparks trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, 71-54, but Plum’s personal 5-0 run cut it to 71-59 with 2:18 left in the third. Rice’s 3-pointer made it 74-60. Hamby’s 3-pointer cut it to 76-67. However, Maria Conde’s 3-pointer made it 79-67 going into the fourth.

“We know who our go-to guys are,” Roberts said before the game. “But I’ve got to do a better job of probably subbing sooner, maybe a little more frequently, get those bench guys to play with the Nneka’s, the KP’s, the Dearica’s. Just like everything else, and I know you probably get sick of me saying it, but it’s a process of figuring out each team, each year.”

The Sparks trailed 27-21 at the end of the first quarter. Plum had eight points. However, former Sparks guards Sykes (7), Mabrey (6), and Nurse (5) combined for 18 points early.

“We’re just not in rhythm offensively right now,” Roberts explained. “That’s to me missing some shots we normally hit, kick out 3s not making them, the way we want to and then not getting stops. It puts so much pressure on your offense.”

Ogwumike’s layup cut it to 46-40 late in the first half, but Rice’s and-one put Toronto up 49-40 at halftime. Sykes scored 14 points in the first half.

“I think that we’re still trying to find our flow,” Ogwumike said before the game.

For the second consecutive game, the Sparks started Erica Wheeler (four points and seven assists), Plum, Burrell (two points and three rebounds), Hamby and Ogwumike. Wheeler replaced guard Ariel Atikins in the lineup, who missed her second consecutive game because of concussion protocol.

“(Plum) is figuring out how to lead this group with her playmaking for herself or for others,” Roberts said. “I thought she did a great job on Friday. She was getting everybody involved, and in the fourth quarter, she took over. I think that’s the perfect scenario of using her passing ability, her skill but then when the team needs her to go get buckets, she’s able to do that.”

The Sparks outscored Toronto by a 54-30 margin in the paint in Friday’s 99-95 victory. That statistical variance was not lost on Toronto coach Sandy Brondello.

“We’re a little undermanned, so we don’t really have that much size to combat them, but we’ve got to make do with what we have,” Brondello said. “I think you have to show them a little bit more of a crowd.”

Meanwhile, with former Sparks point guard Julie Allemand sidelined with a left hip injury, Rice ran the show.

“Shoot the ball when you’re open,” Brondello continued. “I only yell at her when she doesn’t shoot the ball. She’s a way better shooter if she’s prepared to shoot it and let it fly.”

The Sparks will return to action with their first road game of the season against the Phoenix Mercury Thursday.

“We’re four games in,” Roberts explained. “It would be immature to panic.”

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