Postgame Notes & Quotes
WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

Postgame Notes & Quotes

Published on September 3, 2025 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release


Los Angeles Sparks (19-21) at Atlanta Dream (27-14)

Game 40 | Sept. 3, 2025 | Gateway Center Arena | Atlanta, GA | Spectrum SportsNet

Game Leaders:

Sparks

PTS - Dearica Hamby (21)

REB - Dearica Hamby (9)

AST - Kelsey Plum (7)

Dream

PTS - Rhyne Howard (19)

REB - Brionna Jones (13)

AST - Jordin Canada (10)

Main Takeaways:

Dearica Hamby became the third player in WNBA history to record 4,000 points, 2,200 rebounds, 650 assists and 350 steals while shooting at least 49.0%, joining Nneka Ogwumike and Candice Dupree. Hamby scored a game-high 21 points (10-for-17) in the contest, also recording nine rebounds and four assists

With seven assists, Kelsey Plum now holds the Sparks single-season record for assists in assists in a season, breaking Wednesday's opponent Jordin Canada's franchise mark set in 2023 and passing DeWanna Bonner for 29th all-time in WNBA assists

Kelsey Plum also tallied 18 points (5-for-11 FG, 7-for-7 FT) and two steals

The league's leader in Assist-to-Turnover Ratio, Julie Allemand, recorded five assists and one turnover in 30 minutes

The Sparks recorded 19 assists in a game that saw 10 of 11 Sparks players score

First Quarter:

Forward-center Azurá Stevens opened scoring for the game with a step-back three-pointer via an assist from guard Kelsey Plum

The Sparks went on a 10-0 run to start the game

Guard Julie Allemand added a three-pointer of her own at the 3:15 mark to extend the Sparks' lead, 21-14

Plum scored or assisted on 17 of Los Angeles' 24 points (and on 14 of the Sparks' first 16 points) in the first period, recording a team-high seven points and a quarter-high four assists.

Forward Dearica Hamby finished the quarter with six points and a game-high five rebounds

The Sparks shot 50.0% from the floor and 44.4% from beyond the arc in the opening quarter, assisting on seven of nine field goals

Second Quarter:

Hamby scored the Sparks' first field goal of the second quarter at the 6:27 mark, finishing a cutting layup set up by Allemand. The 11th-year forward scored or assisted on eight of the Sparks' first 11 second-quarter points

With 56 seconds left in the first half, forward Rickea Jackson converted a pull-up jump shot to cut the Sparks' deficit to 51-39

Los Angeles shot 48.4% from the floor in the opening half

The first half featured three lead changes and one tie

Third Quarter:

Hamby opened second-half scoring with six straight points, trimming the Sparks' deficit to eight with eight minutes left in the third

Jackson buried L.A.'s first triple of the second half via a Plum assist at the 4:22 mark. On the next Sparks possession, the second-year wing converted a driving layup to become the team's third player in double figures

Rookie forward Sania Feagin entered the game with 1:07 remaining in the third, marking her first appearance since Aug. 9 against the Golden State Valkyries

Hamby scored a game-high eight points (4-for-6 FG) in the third quarter

Fourth Quarter:

Feagin opened the Sparks' fourth-quarter scoring 27 seconds in with a layup off a feed from Stevens

Plum recorded a three-point play at the 8:21 mark to cut the Sparks deficit to 76-65

Jackson buried a three-pointer assisted by Plum with 5:39 left to go to make the score 82-69, Atlanta

With two minutes left, forward Alissa Pili scored her first points of the match with two free throws

Pregame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On preparing to play against Atlanta twice in three games:

"Tonight, [we will] certainly get a sense for one another, and we haven't played each other in so long. Our team is completely different with Cameron [Brink] and Rae [Burrell] back. Rickea [Jackson] was barely playing, that was her first game back from her concussion. So we're a different team. Point being, you can't really watch the last time we played them and get a good feel for everything it's gonna be. We've scouted them pretty hard, and they're good. They're very, very good and they can put points on you in a hurry. They're still competing for that second place, so they've got something to play for. They've clinched playoffs, but we just have to take it one at a time, see how tonight goes in terms of what they do, what gave us some trouble, what we had success with, and then you just build on that for the next time."

On the bench's role in this playoff push:

"I think they've done well. [Sarah Ashlee Barker] has done a great job coming in. Playing [Kelsey Plum] at the one a little bit allows Rae [Burrell] and Rickea [Jackson] to be on the floor at the same time at the wing spot [and] makes us super long. And then 'SA' [Barker] can give 'KP' [Plum] a breather. I thought she's done a nice job defensively and all that. Everybody talks about [Cameron Brink]'s fouling, but she's impacting the game and we have depth at those positions. If we didn't have depth, the fouling would be more of an issue. Obviously, we don't want her to foul, but she's being aggressive and she impacts the game. So I'm okay with her being aggressive, and we can work on not fouling in the off-season. Rae [Burrell] has been phenomenal. She just brings such a punch, and she's settled in now. She's confident and shooting the ball well. She just brings a different dimension off the bench, so those guys are doing a good job."

On competing against Allisha Gray:

"She is legit good, and you don't need me to sit up here and say that. I'm so impressed with her efficiency. She doesn't seem to take bad shots. She understands [that] she's an incredible shooter, and so you have to respect that. As much as you want to force her one way, she finds ways to still get back to that left hand - it's like Kelsey Plum in that way. It can be all over your scouting report and everything, but great offense beats great defense. She's special, she really is. I've been very, very impressed with her and love watching her play. Hopefully tonight, I don't love it as much."

Postgame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On the most challenging part of tonight's matchup:

"[We'll have to] go back and watch it just to see. I thought that, defensively, we gave up some just easy buckets scouting report-wise. And those are things we can control, you know? That first quarter, I thought we were off to a hot start, but it was a great pace, and we were moving the ball. That second quarter's the quarter that really did us in, and we couldn't really catch up after that."

On positive takeaways from the second half:

"I thought in that second quarter, what hurt us was either not a great shot or a turnover, and they converted on all of them. They're fast, and they can score quickly. We got beat in transition a few times and that just opened things up for them. We took much better care of the ball in the second half, we only had two turnovers, and they didn't get out and run in the second half. I think we took good shots, we just, like [Kelsey Plum] said, didn't shoot... as well as we normally do, and by shoot, I mean threes and at the rim. We missed some layups that we've been hitting all year, and that gives me confidence going into Friday. And I believe in this group, down to my toes. I have a lot of respect for Atlanta, and how tough and well coached they are. But like KP said, too, it'll be kind of a unique experience to just regroup tomorrow and play the same team on Friday. I'm excited for Friday, and I don't like losing, but we got to the free throw line 20 times versus their eight - we just didn't have our normal offensive punch. We had a bad second quarter, but a lot to build on, and we'll be alright on Friday."

Kelsey Plum:

On takeaways from first quarter of the game:

"We have to go back and watch it just to see [what went well]. I thought that defensively, we gave up some easy buckets scouting report-wise. And those are things we can control, you know? But I thought we were off to a hot start in that first quarter - it was a great pace, and we were moving the ball. That second quarter is the quarter that really did us in, and we couldn't really catch up after that."

On her recent comments about her adaptability:

"I think coming into the league, [I was] just trying to find my footing, what I'm good at - it was a little bit more of Rocky Balboa. Just hard-nosed, tough. I think my play has spoken for itself this season. I'm not one to really toot my own horn, but I get to the paint more than any guard in the league. Like, we don't consider me an athlete, but somehow I get there, you know? I make a good amount of threes at an efficient clip. When we talk about other guards in the league, we talk about their skill. When we talk about me, we talk about my work ethic. I'm not saying that's the wrong thing, but I was just talking on the podcast about just having a little bit of a changed narrative. Because I think at the end of the day as a basketball player, you want to be known for what you bring to the table, how you get to the free throw line - and for me, how physical I am, how aggressive I am, how I'm able to playmake for my team. I take a lot of pride in that, so that's what I was talking about."

What's Next?:

The Sparks conclude their three-game road trip Friday against the Dream at 4:30 p.m. PT, returning home to host the Wings on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.

Check out the Los Angeles Sparks Statistics

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