Kelsey Plum Leads with 28 Points, Yet Sparks Fall to Tempo
Sparks Fall to Tempo, Suffering Second Consecutive Loss
The Los Angeles Sparks aimed to conclude their season-opening four-game homestand with a second consecutive win against the Toronto Tempo. However, the expansion team turned the tables, securing a 106-96 victory Sunday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.
Kelsey Plum led the Sparks with 28 points, continuing her strong performance this season after starting the day tied for the WNBA scoring lead at 26.3 points per game. Dearica Hamby contributed 21 points, while Nneka Ogwumike added 17 points and seven rebounds.
The Sparks, trailing by 13 midway through the fourth quarter, narrowed the gap to six points with Plum’s two free throws at the 4:27 mark. Yet, they could not close the distance further. With the loss, the Sparks drop to 1-3, tied for last place in the Western Conference alongside Seattle, while the Tempo improved to 2-2.
The Tempo took control early, outscoring the Sparks 9-3 in the final minutes of the first quarter to establish a 27-21 lead. They extended their advantage to 14 points with a jumper from Laura Juskaite with 4:28 remaining in the second quarter. A three-point attempt from Hamby at the halftime buzzer did not connect, leaving the Sparks trailing 49-40 as they went to the locker room.
In the third quarter, Rae Burrell fouled out with 4:33 left, allowing Kia Nurse to make two free throws that gave the Tempo their largest lead at 65-49. The Sparks rallied slightly to end the quarter with a 13-8 run.
After scoring 27 points in their previous matchup, Sykes added 14 points by halftime and finished the game with a total of 38 points. Kiki Rice, the first overall pick of the Tempo, contributed 19 points in the victory.
