dearica hamby

After aiming to leap from the WNBA’s worst team to a season of triumph, the Sparks instead ended the season seeking perspective — none more so than Kelsey Plum.

In the season’s final weeks, while fighting for a playoff spot, Plum called Dearica Hamby, her closest teammate, to voice her frustration. Accustomed to winning seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, Plum sought solace after several losses, and Hamby grounded her.

“Hey, I won eight games last year,” Hamby responded. “So this looks different to me.”

Despite finishing under .500 for the fifth consecutive season and falling just short of making the playoffs, the Sparks easily more than doubled last year’s win total. Hampered by a slew of injuries that stunted momentum, they greatly improved with the league’s fourth-best record after the All-Star break.

“I really wanted to impact winning, and so it’s tough because sometimes I don’t do a great job of giving myself grace,” Plum said. “We did win 21 games, different from eight a season ago, [but] at the same time, as a competitor, I really want to be in the playoffs.”

Missing the postseason has left Plum carrying that burden, an internal battle she said she’ll have to process. The weight was heavier for Plum, after taking a leap of faith, betting on herself as a No. 1 option for the first time in her career and the motivating factor behind accepting a trade to L.A.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, who will become a free agent this offseason, drives against Dream guard Jordin Canada during a game Sept. 5.

(Paras Griffin / Getty Images)

Now, heading into the offseason, Plum’s message to her teammates is to “take that chip and that hunger,” as she will, and carry it into next season.

For Hamby, this season was a necessary dismantling and rebuilding of the organization, an essential step for lasting success.

“My optimism and perspective is I’d rather have a slow burn than a quick fix,” Hamby said. “We’re talking about long-term and wanting to build something for years to come, with the core that we have.”

For the Sparks to take the next step, head coach Lynne Roberts and general manager Reagan Pebley face a tall task: holding together a roster that finally showed promise of reaching lofty goals. Drawing on their coaching backgrounds, both have leaned on a collaborative approach to building the roster, but free agency will be a test this offseason.

Outside of second-year contributors Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, and this year’s rookie class — all locked into multi-year deals — every veteran on the roster will hit the market. That includes three players who delivered career years: Plum, Hamby and Azurá Stevens.

Plum, with Hamby seated beside her, refrained from guaranteeing her return during exit interviews Friday night. Yet her impassioned message to fans after the season finale, role as the face of the franchise, and input in offseason plans make a return likely.

Hamby, who began recruiting Plum nearly a year ago in hopes of building a legacy together, also appears committed to staying. As she put it, the two “always talked about being together, staying together, whatever we do.”

Fever forward Kelsey Mitchell, middle, tries to drive against the Sparks’ Dearica Hamby (5) and Azurá Stevens (23), who both will be free agents this offseason.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

For starters, retaining them along with Stevens and Julie Allemand is a priority, but it could become a bit complicated come free agency.

Stevens, the healthiest she’s been in years, delivered career highs in points (12.8), rebounds (8.0), minutes (28.4) and games (all 44) as a primary contributor, particularly when injuries plagued the team early in the season — a showing that could attract suitors in free agency.

Allemand is headed to Turkey to play professionally this offseason but hopes to return next season — a return that might hinge on a more defined role. She said she can “do a lot more” and doesn’t want “to be satisfied with this, and be like, ‘OK, let’s just come back next season,’ and it’s the same.”

“It’s always tough to run it back,” Pebley said. “Success is really hard to sustain, and momentum is really hard to hold on to. … We’ll do everything we can to make sure the right pieces stay. Maybe it’s putting people in a different spot, but also addressing some needs that we have.”

The challenge isn’t just shuffling or adding talent; it’s doing so without overcorrecting. The goal is bringing in players who add value while preserving locker-room balance — those whom both Roberts and Pebley trust to fit seamlessly into the culture, enhancing it rather than disrupting it.

Changing the culture and building an identity was Roberts’ top priority heading into her first full WNBA season, and she believes the roster has fully bought in, a process that began with earning the players’ trust.

“They don’t care what you know until they know you care,” Roberts said. “I wanted to get them on board and get them bought in. And so then next year there can be more accountability and I can do a better job.”

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts talks with guard Julie Allemand during a break in play. Allemand will become a free agent this offseason.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Pebley said missing the playoffs has left everyone focused on accountability, at times, to a fault.

Plum is carrying the weight of coming to L.A. to win and falling short. Roberts is shouldering the responsibility of missing the mark of turning a perennial losing team into a winner, like she was hired to do. Pebley herself has been reflecting on the decisions she could have made differently.

“Like mature, experienced people that can gain perspective, do hold on to that self-accountability, but also start to move things into the right place,” Pebley said. “We want to get better, and we will. We’re very committed to doing that, and grateful that it’s not just on one of our shoulders.”

PHOENIX — Dearica Hamby scored 16 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter, Rae Burrell had a career-high 20 points off the bench and the Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury 88-83 on Tuesday night but the Sparks were eliminated from the playoff race.

The Sparks needed a win and a Seattle loss to send the chase for the last playoff spot to the last day of the season on Thursday, but the Storm pulled out a 74-73 win over Golden State.

Phoenix, the No. 4 seed, will host fifth-seeded New York, the defending champion, in the best-of-three series when the playoffs open on Sunday.

Hamby’s layup put the Sparks on top for good at 76-74 with 4:16 to play. She followed that with a three-point play. She added a three-point play with 1:01 to go for an 86-81 lead. There were 17 lead changes.

Kelsey Plum added 17 points for the Sparks (21-22).

Alyssa Thomas had her eighth triple-double of the season for the Mercury (27-16) with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but she and the other Phoenix starters sat out the fourth quarter, Satou Sabally led the Mercury with 24 points and Sami Whitcomb added 11.

Phoenix led 25-19 after one quarter but the Sparks were up 45-44 at half.

The Sparks opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run for a 54-44 lead and then the Mercury stormed back to take a 59-58 lead on Whitcomb’s three-pointer.

Burrell’s driving layup in the last minute, when she tied her career high of 18 points, was the difference as the Sparks took a 63-62 lead into the fourth quarter.

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — The Sparks inched closer to playoff elimination on Friday night.

Rhyne Howard tied the WNBA record with nine 3-pointers and finished with 37 points, Atlanta tied the team record with 19 3s and the Dream beat the Sparks 104-85.

Howard had three attempts at the record, which she already shared with Kelsey Mitchell (2019), Jewell Loyd (2023) and Arike Ogunbowale (2024). She is the first two accomplish the feat twice, both this season.

Atlanta (28-14), which clinched home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, tied the team record on Jordin Canada’s shot with 1:44 to play. New York hit 19 3-pointers twice this season and Las Vegas had 23 3s in a playoff game.

The Sparks’ Dearica Hamby shoots the ball under pressure from the Dream’s Brittney Griner during the second quarter at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Ga., on Friday.

(Paras Griffin / Getty Images)

Maya Caldwell hit five 3s and scored 19 points for Atlanta and Brionna Jones added 12. The Dream were 19 for 39 from the arc. Howard was 9 for 17 and Caldwell 5 for 7.

Dearica Hamby scored 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting for the Sparks (19-22), who are 2 1/2 games behind Indiana in seventh place in the standings and Seattle in eighth. The Fever and Storm have an easier remaining schedules as they push to become one of the league’s eight playoff teams.

Kelsey Plum added 20 points and Rickea Jackson 17 for the Sparks.

The Sparks tied the score at 64 on Hamby’s layup in the middle of the third quarter but then the Dream reeled off 13 straight, which included back-to-back 3s by Caldwell and Howard’s eighth 3.

Howard’s record-tying 3, with 28.7 seconds left, made it 85-71. Caldwell had 11 points in the third quarter and Atlanta led 85-72.

Howard made five 3s in the first quarter, seven in the first half when she had 29 points and the Dream led 56-52.

The Sparks are home against Dallas on Sunday.

SEATTLE — Dearica Hamby had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Rickea Jackson added 23 points and the Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 91-85 on Monday night.

Seattle led 85-80 with 2:47 to play but Hamby scored five points and Jackson four in an 11-0 closing run to pull the Sparks within 1½ games of the Storm and Indiana for the final two playoff spots. Seattle missed its last five shots.

Kelsey Plum added 14 points for the Sparks (19-20) and Rae Burrell had 11. Hamby had 11 rebounds as the Sparks dominated the boards 37-23. The also had a 60-30 advantage on points in the paint.

Nneka Ogwumike had 21 points on five first half three-pointers and two second half three-point plays for the Storm (22-20). Skylar Diggins also had 21 points and Ezi Magbegor added 11.

Gabby Williams had two baskets and an assist to fuel a 10-0 run for the Storm, who led 25-20 after one quarter.

Ogwumike had three three-pointers in less than a minute, making her five for five, for a 36-25 lead 3½ minutes into the second quarter. The Storm had six threes in the quarter, with Erica Wheeler’s in the closing seconds making it 53-39 at the half.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, left, drives to the basket in front of Seattle guard Erica Wheeler during the first half Monday.

(Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

Diggins opened the second half with a three for a 17-point lead, but the Sparks hit their first five shots and were 12 for 17 in the quarter. The final shot was a buzzer-beating one-handed three-pointer by Jackson from beyond the top of the key to cut the Storm’s lead to 73-68 entering the fourth quarter.

The Sparks play at second-place Atlanta on Wednesday and Friday. The Storm are home against New York on Friday.

The Sparks won a critical game Sunday, defeating the Washington Mystics 81-78 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Washington hit a trio of three-pointers in the final minute, but Dearica Hamby‘s jumper in the paint and Kelsey Plum‘s two free throws in the final 20 seconds were enough to seal a Sparks win.

Hamby led the Sparks with 20 points and 12 rebounds, recording her 11th double-double of the season. Plum added 18 points, four rebounds and six assists. Rickea Jackson contributed 16 points and Azurá Stevens had 12 rebounds.

“Dearica was just a beast on the boards and finishing in traffic with those-and-ones,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “She’s just so strong and athletic,”

It was a critical win for a ninth-place Sparks team that is three wins behind the Indiana Fever for the final playoff spot.

The Sparks (18-20) likely will need to win a majority of their remaining games to have a chance at the postseason. Their final six-game slate includes two tests against Atlanta this week and games against Phoenix and Las Vegas to close the regular season.

They also need the Valkyries, Fever and Seattle Storm to lose. Golden State, which beat Indiana on Sunday night to move ahead of Seattle and into sixth, also owns the playoff tiebreaker after winning the season series against the Sparks.

The Sparks could help their cause with a road win over Seattle (22-19) on Monday night.

Before Sunday’s win, Roberts wanted to see better pacing from her team. She got that, along with better shot execution. Unfortunately, 13 turnovers allowed the Mystics to stay on the Sparks’ heels most of the game.

The Sparks came out strong in the first quarter, building a double-digit lead of 13 points.

Washington (16-25) responded in the second quarter and tied the game 24-24. Plum then split a pair of free throws to put the Sparks ahead and they pulled away to take a 40-31 lead by halftime.

The Sparks continued to stay ahead in the third quarter, but six points from Kiki Iriafen coupled with a Stefanie Dolson three-pointer gave Washington a 56-55 lead with 8:21 left. The Sparks retook the lead before a Sonia Citron three-pointer tied the score at 61-61 with 5:35 remaining.

Hamby then made a couple of free throws and scored on a two-foot layup to put the Sparks ahead for good.

Iriafren finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, securing her 15th double-double of the season. Shakira Austin added 11 points and seven rebounds. Citron chipped in 12 points.

With some much at stake in days ahead, Stevens knows the Sparks can’t afford to lose their focus.

“We know the circumstances, but all we can control is the next possession.” Stevens said, “Just taking it day by day and really focusing on us, our defense, our rebounding, our pace on offense.”

Roberts also would like to see more from her players Monday night against Seattle.

“We’ve got to be better at putting teams away and not making it a close game, but we took care of business [tonight],” Roberts said.

Execution, intensity, and pacing defined Tuesday’s matchup at Crypto.com Arena, where the Sparks faced the Phoenix Mercury in their third meeting of the season, with the Sparks losing for the third time to the Mercury, 92-84.

Before the game, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts emphasized the importance of focus on both ends of the floor.

“For us offensively, it’s going to come down to pace and being willing to execute,” Roberts said. “You have to execute with intensity and intention.”

While Sparks (17-19) did a good job forcing some turnovers and getting some steals, execution was a little rushed.

With 40.5 seconds left in the third quarter, things got chippy on the court when Rickea Jackson slipped and limped off, sidelined for the remainder of the quarter.

“I am proud of her for trying to go back in, but I could tell she was just laboring a little bit and we had a big stretch coming in and it’s not fair to keep her through,” Roberts said of Jackson playing through what appeared to be an ankle injury.

“She is tough, and I have a feeling she’ll be fine by the time Friday comes around,” Roberts said.

Sparks forward Dearica Hamby’s scoring run early in the second quarter helped the Sparks briefly take the lead. After hitting a jumper to tie the score at 24, Hamby drew a foul and hit one of two free throws to put Los Angeles ahead 25-24. She finished with 25 points and eight rebounds.

But the Sparks couldn’t hold the advantage for long. The Mercury (23-14) led 48-40 at halftime and maintained control throughout.

“We didn’t shoot great from three, I mean that’s where the difference in the game is they (Phoenix) went 11 for 25, we went seven for 24,” Roberts said. “I do feel like we typically shoot it better,”

Satou Sabally paced Phoenix with 19 points and three rebounds. Kahleah Copper added 18 points and three assists, while Alyssa Thomas had a triple-double with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists.

Tuesday’s matchup was a testament to how physical the WNBA is, especially with playoffs on the line.

“I’m sure it’s because the playoffs are coming, and we’re scrapping for our lives, and they’re playing hard. We’re all playing for something and the intensity is up, and these guys have pride in how they play,” Roberts said

Despite strong performances from Jackson (21 points) and Hamby, the Sparks couldn’t break through against Phoenix’s balance and depth.

The Sparks next play the Indiana Fever on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

WASHINGTON — Sonia Citron tied her career high with five three-pointers and finished with 24 points, Kiki Iriafen added 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Washington Mystics beat the Sparks 95-86 on Sunday.

Iriafen has 12 double-doubles this season and set a franchise rookie record for most games (six) with at least 15 points and 10-plus rebounds.

Shakira Austin had 14 points and Jade Melbourne, who fouled out with less than two minutes left, scored 11 for Washington (16-18).

Alysha Clark hit a three-pointer about 4½ minutes into the game that made it 12-9 and gave the Mystics the lead for good.

Dearica Hamby scored six straight points in an 8-0 Sparks run that cut the deficit to 82-79 with 6:25 to play before Citron answered with a jumper seven seconds later and her three-pointer with 4:12 remaining gave Washington a nine-point lead.

Hamby led the Sparks (16-18) with 26 points and seven assists, and Kelsey Plum added 25 points and six assists. Rickea Jackson scored 17 points and Rae Burrell 10.

The Mystics shot 59.3% (35 of 59) from the field and had 30 assists, both season highs. Washington hit 11 three-pointers and outrebounded the Sparks 35-15.

Citron has scored in double figures in 29 games this season, breaking the franchise’s previous rookie mar of 28, set by Chamique Holdsclaw in 1999.

Washington’s Jacy Sheldon (ankle) did not play.

The Mystics host Connecticut on Tuesday. The Sparks return home to play Dallas on Wednesday.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Kelsey Plum scored 28 points, Dearica Hamby had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Sparks held on to beat the Dallas Wings 97-96 on Friday night after Paige Bueckers missed a potential winning three-pointer.

Plum gave the Sparks a 95-82 lead with 4:25 remaining in the fourth quarter before Dallas closed on a 14-2 run.

Plum made the Sparks’ next basket at the 1:03 mark for a 97-91 lead. Bueckers answered with a quick layup to pull within four and the Sparks turned it over at the other end.

JJ Quinerly sank a three-pointer from the corner with 15 seconds left for a one-point deficit. Plum missed two free throws and Dallas took over possession after a jump ball.

Bueckers raced up the floor for a contested three-pointer that rolled off the rim as time expired.

Azurá Stevens and Rickea Jackson each added 15 points for the Sparks (16-17). Julie Allemand had 12 points, 10 assists and four steals. Plum reached 4,000 career points in the first half. Hamby had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the sixth time this season.

Bueckers finished with 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting for Dallas (9-25). The No. 1 pick in the draft became the fastest player in franchise history to score 500 points. Maddy Siegrist added 15 points, Quinerly had 11 points and nine assists, and Aziaha James scored 10 points.

The Sparks led 53-50 at halftime behind double-digit scoring by Hamby, Jackson and Plum.

Less than 10 days ago, the Seattle Storm and the Sparks battled deep into a second overtime — the first of the 2025 WNBA season — wringing every drop of drama out of Climate Pledge Arena. On Sunday night, the same stakes were at play as the teams tried to strengthen their playoff chances.

The intensity didn’t let up till the final horn. With 5.6 seconds left, Dearica Hamby roared into the paint and scored on a driving layup to put the Sparks ahead for good. After the Storm missed their final chance to win, pandemonium spilled onto the floor — Sparks players leaping into one another’s arms, fans hollering over the hardwood, chanting “Hamby” in celebration of the Sparks’ 94-91 victory.

In addition to Hamby’s last-minute heroics, Kelsey Plum proved vital to helping the Sparks win for the ninth time in 11 games. She finished with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts has painted Plum as a shape-shifter — able to twist her game into whatever the game demands.

“That’s what your best players should do — get everybody else involved and make sure we’re flowing,” Roberts said before the game, “and then when they need you, you step up. She’s done a tremendous job.”

Trailing the Storm (16-16) by 17 in the first quarter, Plum, who still hadn’t scored yet, tore into a one-on-five fast break, freezing the defense with a hesitation at the arc and a glide into the basket for an and-1.

Seconds later, Plum created another opportunity off an extended right elbow, drilling a three-pointer in Erica Wheeler’s face.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, right, drives against Seattle guard Brittney Sykes in the fourth quarter Sunday.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

It was the spurt of momentum the Sparks (15-16) needed to overcome a sputtering start.

Playing the entire first half, Plum went from the table-setter to shot-maker in the second quarter — springing Rae Burrell for a corner three before splashing a triple to tie the score 29-29 early in the second quarter.

Azurá Stevens and Cameron Brink were strong in the key early, but the Sparks clanked jumpers, dribbled into traffic and watched offensive possessions die on the rim in addition to committing eight first-quarter turnovers. So Roberts rolled the dice on a smaller look — swapping her paint patrol of Stevens and Brink for guards Julie Vanloo and Burrell.

Plum and Julie Allemand kept the smaller unit in constant motion, whipping passes from wing to wing and slicing open lanes for Burrell and Rickea Jackson, while Vanloo, Allemand and Plum cashed in from beyond the arc. Roberts rode that group into the second quarter, and they eventually whittled the deficit.

When the final buzzer faded, players were still grinning through hugs, and the crowd’s enthusiasm continued — excitement for a Sparks team that had yanked itself out of the fire.

SAN FRANCISCO — Veronica Burton scored 16 points, Cecilia Zandalasini scored 14 before halftime and the Golden State Valkyries moved a game ahead of the Sparks in the Western Conference beating them 72-59 on Saturday night.

Janelle Salaun scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Golden State (15-15). Zandalasini scored 14 points in the first half on five-for-six shooting, including four for five from three-point range and missed her only shot attempt after halftime.

Dearica Hamby scored 15 points for the Sparks (14-16), and Julie Allemand and reserve Rae Burrell each scored 10.

Golden State built a 19-14 lead after one quarter, and the Valkyries took advantage of a nine-point quarter by the Sparks for a 33-23 lead at halftime.

The Sparks started the third quarter with a 7-0 run with a pair of foul shots and a short shot by Kelsey Plum and a three-pointer by Hamby. Golden State extended its lead to 41-32 before the Sparks rallied again to get within 43-40 but never got closer.

Golden State sealed the win outscoring the Sparks 12-5 over the first six minutes of the fourth.

The Valkyries won the regular-season series 3-1 over the Sparks and currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot.

When Julie Vanloo drew her second traveling violation before halftime, the crowd’s disapproval rose in unison.

On the floor, with tempers simmering on the Sparks’ bench, a delay-of-game whistle drew another round of jeers from the Crypto.com Arena crowd.

The calls weren’t the only sources of frustration for the Sparks — the team also was trailing the last-place Connecticut Sun by 10 points.

Still, the flare-up might have been what the Sparks needed to rally to a 102-91 victory over the Sun to earn their eighth win in nine games.

“Since the beginning of the season, I’ve been optimistic about what this team would look like and why I want to be here and why I want to continue to be here,” Dearica Hamby said. “[This team is] one of the fastest teams I’ve been with. … We’re not done yet, we’ve got a lot more to accomplish.”

After their deficit swelled to 13 points late in the second quarter, the Sparks (14-15) went on a 14-0 run, trimming the Sun’s lead to 51-49 by halftime.

In the third quarter, Hamby helped the Sparks keep pace with the Sun (5-24). Hamby racked up six points, an assist and a defensive rebound over four minutes.

A three-pointer by Rae Burrell late in the third quarter gave the Sparks a 66-64 lead. The Sun managed to tie it in the fourth quarter before a Cameron Brink three with 8:06 left gave the Sparks the lead for good.

Sparks teammates (from left) Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell react during the fourth quarter Thursday.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

“We’ve hung in there and, as I’ve said, didn’t lose sight of the big picture when we had all those injuries and a lot of adversity,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “We’ve had a lot of adversity in that sense, and took some tough losses. But it’s a great group. They’re good people and they want this team to do well.”

Julie Allemand was a consistent force throughout the game, finishing with 10 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds to become the 22nd player in WNBA history to record a triple-double.

“She was just dialing today, she was really good,” Roberts said. “It was impossible in the second half to take her out of the game. … She was just unbelievable.”

From the opening quarter — when Allemand flashed her handle with a flurry of steps, an in-and-out dribble and a hard drive before dishing to Rickea Jackson for a three-pointer at the extended elbow — the Allemand Act didn’t let up.

She proved to be an essential floor general for the Sparks, as the Sun held leading scorer Kelsey Plum to just one point in the first half.

“KP didn’t have a great offensive first half,” Allemand said. “I’m trying as a point guard to see what I need to do to help this team — if it’s scoring, if it’s rebounding, playing defense, offense, depending how [to] fuel my teammates on the court, and I think that’s what I did today.”

Hamby finished with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists and Jackson scored 20 points. Plum surged in the second half to finish with 18 points and Burrell had nine points off the bench.

With Brink back proving to be strong on both ends — she finished with 11 points, five blocks and two rebounds — the Sparks turned Crypto.com Arena’s boos into all cheers by the end of the game.

Thirteen months after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament, Sparks forward Cameron Brink made her season debut, stepping onto the court at the 2:39 mark of the first quarter.

Brink looked comfortable despite the long layoff, jumping into the midseason contest intensity with confidence. She was active and competitive throughout, playing 13 minutes and 55 seconds during her return.

“We’re thrilled to have her back, and I’m incredibly proud of her,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “She’s on a minutes restriction. … I told her that she needs to enjoy the moment. … It’s a hard injury to come back from mentally and physically, and she’s done it with a smile on her face.”

But the night marked the end of the WNBA’s longest active winning streak, as the Sparks fell 89-74 to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The Sparks (11‑15) trailed by double digits for most of the game and couldn’t recover against the surging Aces (14‑13), who extended their lead to as much as 21 points.

In the third matchup between the two teams this season, the Sparks came out a bit hesitant, while the Aces were the aggressors from the tip.

“That was the worst shooting we’ve had all season,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to be able to defend. It’s knowing personnel, it’s knowing tendency, it’s staying locked into the game plan even when they score the first eight points.”

The Aces leaned on strong starts from Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson, who combined for 34 points in the first half.

Wilson finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Young recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Dearica Hamby remained a bright spot for the Sparks, contributing 15 points and six rebounds. Hamby was named WNBA Western Conference player of the week after leading the Sparks to three wins, including a road victory over the defending champion New York Liberty on Saturday.

Kelsey Plum added 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists in the loss. Brink had five points, including a three-pointer, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 14 minutes of play.

“I was really proud of her,” Plum said of Brink. “I told her after the game, ‘It’s very impressive to come in, make the impact that you did.’ … I think she’s gonna continue to just help us a ton.”

The Sparks, who had been rolling offensively, were startled by their difficulty scoring.

“We have been so used to making shots and so I think it caught us off guard a little bit,” Roberts said.

The Sparks will look to regroup before playing the Storm in Seattle Friday night.

Shakira Austin didn’t realize how important fashion would become when she entered the WNBA in 2022.

Her introduction to game-day tunnel fashion began at the University of Mississippi in 2020.

“My school started doing their own tunnel fits,” she said. “It was cute, but I definitely didn’t know [the WNBA tunnel walk was] as popping and as big as it is now.”

During the last few years, college and WNBA social media teams have photographed players walking into arenas and to their locker rooms on game day. Tunnel walk fashion now quickly spreads on social media on game days.

The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese poses on the orange carpet during WNBA All Star Game week in Indianapolis.

(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

What started as a social media trend that fans enjoyed has become a high-profile chance for WNBA players to show off their personal style and potentially land endorsement deals. A Vogue article published last season declared that “The WNBA Tunnel Is Officially a Fashion Destination.”

Austin has adapted to the spotlight and says she enjoys expressing herself through clothing.

“It gives a little bit of a model essence,” Austin said. “You go through, you pick out your fit for the day, and all cameras are on you, so it’s definitely a nice little highlight off the court before you start to lock in for the game.”

Now in her fourth year with the Washington Mystics, Austin’s sense of style is fully her own.

Without much styling advice from teammates as a rookie, she leaned on her passion for creativity and beauty to guide her looks.

“I’ve just always liked to express myself through beauty — from either masculine or feminine looks,” she said.

At 6 foot 5, Austin has had to work with limited clothing options.

“Being that I am a tall girl, it’s kind of hard to find clothes, so repeating stuff is a big deal for me,” she said. “Also, just making [the outfit] a different vibe each time.”

The Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers poses on the orange carpet during a WNBA All-Star Game event in Indianapolis.

(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa didn’t get comfortable until she partnered with stylist Kristine Anigwe, a former WNBA player and owner of KA Creative Consulting.

“Figuring out, ‘OK, this is my style, this is what I actually like and enjoy wearing. How can I put it together in something that is comfortable and makes me feel confident?’” Nelson-Ododa said.

She describes being a “serial pieces repeater,” choosing to mix and match rather than follow trends.

“Honestly, it’s fashion, there’s like no rules to it.”

Off the court, fashion is now a way for her to show different sides of herself beyond her basketball identity.

“We already have an amazing job like this, and being able to add on by showing ourselves in a different light is super fun,” she said.

Although she doesn’t have the biggest interest in fashion, Sparks center Azura Stevens has seen tunnel fashion evolve into something much bigger.

The Sparks’ Rickea Jackson poses on the orange carpet during a WNBA All-Star Game event in Indianapolis.

(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

“It’s cool to put together different fits, kind of show your personality through style,” she said. “I am kind of used to it now — it’s just a part of the game-day routine.”

During her time in the league, fashion has become a natural part of the culture.

“It has become a really big thing for it to be like runways almost before the game. It’s a part of the culture now of the [league],” she said.

Stevens’ teammate, veteran forward Dearica Hamby, has had a career full of fashion transitions since she entered the league in 2015 when fashion wasn’t a major part of the WNBA culture.

“Mine has changed over the course of the years,” she said. “For me, I’m sometimes business-like, but overall just really well put together.”

Hamby credits her time with the Las Vegas Aces as the moment she saw the shift.

“I kind of feel like my time in Vegas is when it really took off. We had a really talented photographer who was able to capture our fits,” she said.

Hamby is still learning what works best for her style. One thing she’s noticed: how an outfit looks in a photo matters.

“Sometimes things don’t photograph well, and that’s what I am starting to learn,” she said. “It could look good in person, but it doesn’t necessarily photograph well, so you wanna wear things that are cut and crisp.”

As tunnel walk content grows on social media, so can critiques of players and their outfit choices.

“I’ve definitely gotten flamed before for certain outfits,” Nelson-Ododa said. “Some people are not fans and some people are fans. I really don’t care, as long as it feels good on me, I’m fine.”

“You definitely know that eyes are going to see, and you’re going to be talked about — whether it’s a positive view or negative view,” Hamby said.

What matters most to Hamby is the feeling behind the fit: “Just remind yourself that if you feel good and you feel like you look good in it, that’s all that matters.”

Dearica Hamby lined up for one of those last-second launches as the first-half clock dipped toward zero.

The ball clanged off the front rim, appearing short — until backspin carried it to the back iron for a second bounce.

With Julie Allemand holding her knees and Kelsey Plum already prancing away, the ball kissed the rim twice more. And, finally, after a two-second pause that held the whole arena hostage, the ball dropped. Hamby fell with it, her teammates swarming to lift her as Crypto.com Arena erupted for what was perhaps the Sparks’ finest half of basketball of the season in a 99-80 stomping of the Washington Mystics.

Hamby’s arena-triggering triple capped a solo 10-point scoring spree and a 20-minute performance where the ball zipped across the hardwood, the defense suffocated and every Spark had their fingerprints on a rout of the WNBA’s seventh-best team.

By the end of the first half alone, Hamby had piled up 18. Plum chipped in 14. Jackson poured in nine and Stevens poured in eight. Facilitating it all, Allemand dealt eight assists. And — in what didn’t reflect itself on the box score the way it did on the hardwood — the Energizer Bunny chimed in with four.

Energizer Bunny?

Coach Lynne Roberts awarded that label to Rae Burrell before Tuesday night’s showdown, adding that “she brings life and energy” to the squad.

When Burrell picked off her first pass of the night, she orchestrated a play that would lead to Julie Vanloo finding a wide-open Sania Feagin in the paint, capping off a clinic in ball movement.

When Burrell stole her second pass of the night, she took matters in her own hand, going coast to coast for an and-1 layup in the paint.

And each time, it seemed as though everyone profited off the Bunny. Her contagious energy seemed to leak on to each of her teammates, who sliced through gaps on offense and brought out the clamps on defense to limit the Mystics (11-11) to just 12 points in the second quarter.

In the process, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — the Mystics’ rookie duo who will compete in the All-Star game this Saturday — were held to a combined two points.

Meanwhile, Plum — the Sparks’ All-Star — seemed to have a dress rehearsal Thursday night, tuning up her shot ahead of Friday’s three-point contest and Saturday’s All-Star Game.

Plum opened the night on a tear — nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 start, including one from beyond the arc. With cutters carving up the defense and her bigs sealing space down low, she shifted gears into facilitator mode as well, racking up six assists by game’s end.

And this time, the Sparks (8-14) didn’t let their scoring avalanche slip through, cruising into the All-Star break with a wire-to-wire double-digit buffer.

It was the kind of offense they’d been chasing all season.

Cuts darted through closing doors, warping the Connecticut’s defense into knots, and the Sparks’ monster frontcourt threw its weight around and pounded out a 57-point stampede.

Rickea Jackson, with her wiry strength and burst, knifed past defenders as Dearica Hamby mixed bruising post work with feather-soft finishes and Azurá Stevens — the most versatile of the bunch — filled every gap. And as Jackson and Hamby created real estate down low, the Sparks’ backcourt dished out 22 assists.

Kelsey Plum even caught a groove in the third. Rae Burrell clawed her way into the lane for jabs that jolted her Sparks back to life.

With touches flowing from sideline to baseline, the Sparks kept their half of the scoreboard flashing in a wire-to-wire 92-88 victory over a flailing Sun squad.

There wasn’t much time to breathe at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday afternoon, whether decked out in white and purple or black and orange.

Not when every possession felt like a pendulum swing — the Sparks (6-14) surging and the Sun (3-18) countering with Bria Hartley’s steady hand on the perimeter and Saniya Rivers’ muscle inside.

Clinging to a fragile five-point lead, Julie Allemand elevated what could’ve been the dagger with 48 seconds left — a shot that would’ve ballooned the lead to eight.

Instead, it went to a jump ball, Jackson got charged for a personal, and Rivers went to the free-throw line. Drowned in the noise of a frenzied Crypto.com Arena, the rookie scored on only one of her two shots, keeping it a two-possession game.

Hamby could only find iron on the next possession.

Coming out of a Connecticut timeout, Stevens rebounded a 26-foot heave from Hartley that clanged off the rim. Hartley fouled Stevens.

True to her steady hand, Stevens buried both free throws to secure the win.

NEW YORK — Natasha Cloud scored 11 of her 23 points in the third quarter and sparked a huge run to lead the New York Liberty to an 89-79 victory over the Sparks on Thursday night.

Breanna Stewart added 17 points and 14 rebounds and Sabrina Ionescu had 20 points for New York (12-5).

The defending champion Liberty trailed 53-42 midway through the third before Cloud and Ionescu got going. Cloud’s three-point play sparked a 13-0 run and then Ionescu scored 10 straight points for New York to give the Liberty a 63-59 advantage.

New York extended its lead to 69-59 by the end of the period. The Sparks (5-13) cut it to five with 3:30 left before Leonie Fiebich hit a three-pointer to seal the win.

Dearica Hamby scored 25 points to lead the Sparks, who got a boost with the return of Rae Burrell. She saw her first action since injuring her knee in the opener. She checked in late in the first quarter and played 12 minutes, finishing with five points.

The game also marked the debut of Julie Vanloo, whom the Sparks picked up off waivers two hours before tip-off. She came in early in the second quarter and played two minutes.

New York was still missing star forward Jonquel Jones, who has been sidelined with a sprained ankle. Jones told reporters Wednesday that she’s progressing well, but didn’t want to put a timetable on her return. The Liberty welcomed back Fiebich, who had been playing for Germany in the EuroBasket tournament over the last few weeks.

The Sparks built a 41-37 halftime lead behind 10 points from Hamby. Stewart had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Liberty guard Marine Johannes had two standout plays in the first half. She hit a three-pointer off one foot as the shot clock ran out, and later made a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Stewart for a layup.

INDIANAPOLIS — Azurá Stevens scored 23 points, Kelsey Plum had 21 points and six assists and the Sparks ended a four-game losing streak by beating the short-handed Indiana Fever 85-75 on Thursday night.

Indiana played without Caitlin Clark who was out because of a groin injury. Clark had recently returned from a quad injury that kept her sidelined for five games. She returned on June 14 and scored 32 points to help the Fever to a 102-88 victory against the Liberty.

Plum made a three-pointer with 4:13 left to give the Sparks a 67-66 lead, its first since the opening minute of the second quarter. She added two free throws on their next possession to cap a 21-8 run spanning the third-quarter break.

Los Angeles sealed it by grabbing two offensive rebounds with under a minute to play. Dearica Hamby was fouled while making a layup to give the Sparks a 79-75 lead. She missed the free throw but Stevens grabbed it and completed a three-point play to make it 81-75 with 49 seconds left.

Hamby and Rickea Jackson each scored 14 points for the Sparks (5-11).

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (7-8) with 20 points and Aliyah Boston had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

Indiana led 31-22 before the Sparks went on an 8-0 run, capped by Shey Peddy‘s three-pointer to get within one. Sophie Cunningham answered with a three-pointer and the Fever led 34-30 at the break after forcing 15 turnovers.

If one word sums up the Sparks’ season so far, it’s hardship. Injuries continue to mount, and Kelsey Plum, their primary scorer and star, has joined the growing list of sidelined players.

Plum’s absence was sorely felt as what began as a valiant effort by the Sparks — keeping pace with the visiting Storm through the first half — quickly unraveled into a 98-67 blowout loss Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

Already down two key starters — Plum and Odyssey Sims — the Sparks were forced to piece together a new starting lineup on short notice. Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson, Azurá Stevens, Sarah Ashlee Barker and newly acquired Shey Peddy marked the Sparks’ fifth different starting five this season.

“We obviously missed [Plum],” coach Lynne Roberts said. “We missed Odyssey. We missed Julie [Allemand]. Those are our three lead guards, and none of them are here.”

Plum was out with a leg injury, Sims for personal reasons and Allemand is with the Belgium national team for the European basketball championship. Plum’s absence was the most felt — she is averaging career highs in points (20.9), assists (5.6), rebounds (2.9) and steals (1.7) so far this season.

Peddy, signed to a hardship contract, joined the team just before Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Since then, she has had just one practice under her belt before stepping in to replace Plum at point guard.

Also signed under a hardship exception, Grace Berger flew in late Monday and joined the team just hours before the game. Berger went scoreless in16 minutes.

“I thought Shey and Grace did a good job,” Roberts said. “They did what they could, but it’s hard to execute stuff that they’ve had little time to digest. It’s not anyone’s fault. That’s just the reality.”

Running the offense through their anchor, Hamby, the Sparks (4-9) held their own through the first 20 minutes, refusing to waver. They trailed 47-37 by halftime.

Hamby finished with a season-low eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.

But the resilience was short-lived. As the game wore on, cracks in the offense widened. Careless passes led to a flurry of turnovers.

Seattle’s Gabby Williams set the tone early with six steals in the first half. She finished with eight, along with 11 points and seven assists. The Storm scored 31 points off 24 Sparks turnovers, with 24 of those points coming on fast breaks.

A 14–5 run — led by former Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike — gave Seattle (7-5) a 62–42 lead with 5:37 left in the third. Ogwumike scored 10 of her 26 points in the quarter.

“In the second half, we couldn’t get a stop,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to be able to defend. We can’t give up 98 points and expect to beat anybody.”

Stevens echoed her coach’s sentiment: “Obviously, we have key people out, but we have enough to still execute and get things done. And it starts defensively.”

Several Sparks starters — including Hamby, Jackson and Stevens — remained in the game late into the fourth, but the deficit had long grown insurmountable, with the team trailing by as many as 30 points. Jackson led the Sparks with 17 points, while Stevens finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The news of Plum’s absence came as a surprise just after practice on Monday, with the Sparks ruling her out because of a lower leg injury.

Dominique Malonga, the 2025 first-round draft pick subsequently chosen as part of the three-team trade for Plum, finished with seven points in 12 minutes for Seattle.

It’s still unclear when Plum sustained the injury, though it presumably happened during Saturday’s loss to the Lynx. She underwent imaging the next day, but the team says the results offered little clarity.

Even more uncertain is her return timeline. It’s unclear if she will play Saturday against Minnesota. Roberts said Plum is “tuned in to her body — she’ll know when she’s ready to go.”

Through the first 12 games of the season, only Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard is averaging more minutes per game than Plum’s 36.

“I still believe strongly in this group, and we’re not even close to full strength,” Roberts said. “We have Kelsey Plum, Odyssey Sims, Julie Allemand, Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink all out. And when we’re going into the season, we’re thinking, Plum, Sims, Allemand, Burrell and Brink are all going to be huge parts. So we cannot lose perspective.”

But a prolonged absence for Plum could spell serious trouble for a team already reeling.

LAS VEGAS — Rickea Jackson scored a career-high 30 points, Azura Stevens had 19 points and 10 rebounds in leading the Sparks to a 97-89 Commissioner’s Cup win over the Aces in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

The Aces were without star center A’ja Wilson for the final 11 minutes of the game after she left with 1:17 left in the third quarter with an injury. She was accidentally hit in the face on Dearica Hamby’s drive to the basket.

Jackson went 11 of 17 from the field, including four of eight from three-point range, and four of five at the free-throw line to top her previous best of 25 points against Dallas last season.

Hamby scored 19 points for the Sparks (4-7) to go with eight rebounds and seven assists. Kelsey Plum had 13 points and nine assists against her former team.

Jackie Young tied her career high with 34 points and Chelsea Gray added 28 for Las Vegas (4-4), which has lost two straight games. Wilson was 2 of 12 from the field and 9 of 10 at the free-throw line to finish with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes.

Young scored 14 straight Las Vegas points in the second quarter.

Hamby, Stevens and Jackson all scored in double figures in the first half to help the Sparks build a 50-41 lead.

DALLAS — Azurá Stevens had 21 points, including a career-high five three-pointers, Dearica Hamby added 20 points, and the Sparks beat the Dallas Wings 93-79 on Friday night to end a three-game losing streak.

Hamby and Stevens each reached 20-plus points for the fourth time this season. Odyssey Sims, who was coming off a 32-point performance in an 85-80 loss to Phoenix on Sunday, added 19 points and a trio of three-pointers for the Sparks.

The Sparks took a 45-40 lead at halftime after Sims converted a three-point play with 2.2 seconds left. Sims finished the half with nine points, Stevens added 13 and Hamby had 11.

Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, right, drives against Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan during the first half Friday.

(LM Otero / Associated Press)

The Sparks started the third quarter on a 6-0 run and added a 9-0 run to begin the fourth for a 76-55 lead. The Wings had three turnovers and two missed shots in the opening three minutes of the fourth.

Stevens hit her fifth three-pointer with 4:45 left in the fourth on a wide-open shot from the corner off a nice drive and pass by Kelsey Plum.

Plum had 11 points, five rebounds and nine assists and Rickea Jackson scored 10 for the Sparks (3-6).

DiJonai Carrington scored 16 points and JJ Quinerly had a career-high 14 for Dallas (1-8). Luisa Geiselsoder had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double. Kaila Charles had 10 points.

Dallas has yielded 90-plus points three times during its four-game losing streak.