LOS ANGELES — The surging Sparks were on the cusp of a .500 record for the first time since they were 1-1, but the reigning WNBA champions slowed their momentum on Tuesday night.
Kelsey Plum scored 26 points and Dearica Hamby added 21 points and eight rebounds for the Sparks, but they couldn’t catch the New York Liberty down the stretch and lost for just the third time in their past 12 games, 105-97, at Crypto.com Arena.
Emma Meesseman scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Jonquel Jones added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Liberty (21-11), who had their best scoring output of the season. Leonie Fiebich scored 20 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 14 points with six assists as New York avenged a 101-99 home loss to the Sparks late last month.
New York played without second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Breanna Stewart (knee) for the eighth consecutive game, while Nyara Sabally (knee) and Isabelle Harrison (concussion) also were out.
Azura Stevens scored 17 points and Rickea Jackson added 16 for the Sparks (15-17), who had a 30-point first quarter but scored only 14 points in the second quarter.
The Sparks pulled to within 74-70 with 1:36 left in the third quarter, and a 3-pointer from Julie Vanloo got the hosts within 78-75 in the opening minute of the fourth before the Liberty took control with a 9-2 run for an 87-77 lead.
Natasha Cloud made back-to-back layups to give New York a 96-85 lead – tied for the largest advantage of the game. Ionescu added a layup with 1:22 remaining and, after the Sparks missed a 3-point attempt, Cloud made another basket in the lane for a 102-91 lead.
The Liberty shot 55.9% overall and 14 for 28 from 3-point range for the night. The 14 3-pointers were the most by a Sparks opponent this season.
“Offensively, we know who we are, we know what we’re good at, we know what gets us away from that,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said afterward. “… We had 23 assists and only seven turnovers, but New York shot 56% and had 14 threes. It’s tough to beat a team when they shoot like that. And shooting percentage is a direct correlation of shot quality, which means they were getting great shots. We’ve got to do a better job defensively. … I have not lost an ounce of faith or confidence in them.”
The Sparks shot 46.8% from the field, including 29% from behind the arc (9 for 31), but they blamed their defensive breakdowns for the outcome.
“I think it came down to them scoring 105 points,” Plum said. “In the past, the zone (defense) maybe slowed us down a little bit. I thought tonight we actually did a really good job for the most part (offensively), but getting stops (is what the loss came down to).”
Roberts said before the game that the Liberty would remain formidable despite playing with just eight healthy players.
“Everybody in this league goes through tough times where you’re shorthanded,” Roberts said. “But that doesn’t change your culture or who you are as a team. They’re (New York) used to winning. And every time they put on their uniform they’re not hoping to win, they’re executing to win. … They have eight, but those are a good eight.”
In addition to exacting some payback for the home loss to the Sparks last month, the Liberty rebounded from an 83-71 home loss to the Minnesota Lynx in a WNBA Finals rematch on Sunday.
Sparks forward Cameron Brink scored two points in five first-half minutes and did not play in the second half. Roberts said Brink tweaked her ankle in the first half and had it taped, but there was no further update.
Brink, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2024, was playing in her seventh game since missing more than a calendar year following knee surgery. She remains on a minutes restriction.
MOVING UP
Hamby moved into the top 10 on the Sparks’ career scoring list, while Stevens moved into the franchise’s top 10 in career 3-point field goals.
UP NEXT
The Sparks travel to Dallas to face the Wings on Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT.
News services contributed to this story.