Sparks beat the Sun 102-91 for their 8th win in 9 games
Sparks Ignite, Smash Sun in a Scoring Explosion
Hamby Leads Balanced Attack with 21 Points
LOS ANGELES — Dearica Hamby poured in 21 points and Rickea Jackson added 20 as the Los Angeles Sparks demolished the Connecticut Sun 102-91 on Thursday night. The win marked their eighth victory in nine games, pushing their record to 14-15.
The Sparks’ offense was a symphony of scoring with six players finishing with double digits. Cameron Brink erupted for all 11 of her points in the second half, while Azura Stevens and Julie Allemand chipped in with 10 each. Allemand, in a historic performance, secured her first career triple-double with a layup in the fourth quarter. She finished with 10 rebounds and 11 assists to go along with her 10 points.
Connecticut (5-24) battled valiantly, led by Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey who each scored 19 points. Bria Hartley added 16 points while Leila Lacan contributed 10 points and seven assists. The Sun’s hot shooting from beyond the arc in the first half—7 of 14 three-pointers—helped them build a 51-49 lead going into halftime.
The Sparks, however, turned up the heat in the second half, led by Kelsey Plum who finally found her rhythm with a 3-pointer at the 2:41 mark of the third quarter, giving Los Angeles a 69-64 advantage. Plum continued her offensive onslaught, sinking the Sparks’ 10th three-pointer with 3:58 left in the fourth quarter, fueled by Julie Allemand’s 10th assist. This extended their lead to 89-78.
Los Angeles finished the game shooting 11 of 25 from beyond the arc and a perfect 21 of 26 from the free-throw line.