Overview
- The Los Angeles Sparks ended a three-game losing streak with an 89-72 victory over the Portland Fire, a game that featured sustained defensive pressure and a decisive second-half surge.
- Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points and a season-high 17 rebounds while Dearica Hamby posted 22 points and 12 rebounds, with both players grabbing six offensive boards that led directly to second-chance scoring.
- Kelsey Plum finished with 16 points and seven assists and remains the WNBA scoring leader, but Los Angeles leaned on post play and team defense when Portland doubled Plum early and limited her first-half shot attempts.
- Portland, playing its first visit to Crypto.com Arena since 2002, shot poorly from long range and committed key turnovers after halftime, falling to about 6-7 as their second-half collapse cost them the lead they held at the break.
- The result gives the Sparks defensive momentum to carry onto a road trip to Seattle while the Dallas Wings continue their strong early run in the league, propelled by Paige Bueckers’s playmaking in Commissioner’s Cup action.