Slow Start Costs Sparks

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WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

Slow Start Costs Sparks

September 15, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release


Game 38: Los Angeles Sparks (7-31) at Seattle Storm (23-15)

September 15, 2024

Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final Points Rebounds Assists

Sparks 15 23 27 22 87 Dearica Hamby (25 Dearica Hamby (11) Odyssey Sims (5)

Storm 24 28 21 17 90 Nneka Ogwumike (23) Nneka Ogwumike (7) Skylar Diggins-Smith (6)

First Quarter:

The Sparks' first basket didn't come until 8:12, courtesy of an Odyssey Sims jumper

Rickea Jackson got her own offensive rebound, and put up a free-throw line shot for her first basket of the afternoon

Stephanie Talbot found Rickea Jackson with a wrap-around pass for Los Angeles' first three of the game, 22-13 Storm

Li Yueru grabbed a game-high-tying four rebounds in the first, including two on the offensive glass

There were two lead changes and two ties in the quarter

Second Quarter:

Odyssey Sims opened second quarter scoring for Los Angeles, scoring the first three baskets, all unassisted

Zia Cooke scored her first basket- a mid-range pull-up, courtesy of an Odyssey Sims assist

On back-to-back possessions, Rae Burrell crashed the offensive glass and got the ball to Dearica Hamby who scored; first for a layup, second for a triple...43-32, Seattle

Hamby posted a game-high six rebounds in the first half, with four coming in the second quarter. She also led the Sparks in scoring in the quarter with seven points

Third Quarter:

Rickea Jackson found Dearica Hamby for the Sparks first bucket of the second half; two possessions later, Hamby returned the favor, finding a cutting Jackson to score

Hamby recorded a steal, passed the ball ahead to Odyssey Sims who found a running Hamby to score...on the following possession, Hamby rebounded a Sims miss and put it back bringing LA within nine points

Hamby scored a game-high 12 points (5-for-7 FG) in the third quarter

With a made free throw at 1:17, Rickea Jackson recorded her 500th point in the W...she followed up the next possession putting in her second three of the game

The Sparks went on a 12-4 run to end the quarter

Fourth Quarter:

Odyssey Sims stole the ball from Skylar Diggins-Smith on back-to-back possessions, first finding a streaking Kia Nurse for a layup, and took it to the house by herself for the second score, bringing Los Angeles within seven

The Sparks went on a 24-10 run to cut their deficit to two points, 77-75

In transition, Dearica Hamby found a sprinting Rickea Jackson to finish the layup...79-77 Storm

Sims attacked the basket strong and scored to tie the game....on the next possession, Sims stole the ball (5th of the night, 3rd of the quarter) and scored in transition to give the Sparks a 81-79 lead; it was L.A.'s first lead since it held a 6-4 advantage

Down one with 1:11 to go, Hamby drained two free throws to regain the lead

Down one with 21.1 remaining, Odyssey Sims attacked the basket but missed, Rae Burrell got the offensive rebound but turned it over, sending Skylar Diggins-Smith to the charity stripe where she made both free throws

With 3.0 to go, Jackson had a look at a three-pointer but missed

Sims totaled 10 points and two assists which accounted for four points in the quarter, accounting for 63.6% of L.A.'s points in the quarter. She also had three steals in the fourth

Main Takeaways:

Rickea Jackson (22 PTS, 7-for-16 FG, 2-for-5 3PT, 6-for-7 FT, 2 STL) reached 500 points in her career. If her shooting splits hold over the final two games of the season, she will become the first WNBA player to score 500+ points during a rookie season, while shooting at least 46% from the field, 35% from three and 75% from the free-throw line

Odyssey Sims (20 PTS, 5 AST, 4 STL) became the seventh Spark ever (and eighth WNBA player this season) to post at least 20 points, five assists and four steals in a game. She joined Candace Paker, Chelsea Gray, Dearica Hamby, Lindsey Harding, Jordin Canada and Mwadi Mabika on the list. The other WNBA players to accomplish the feat this season are Dearica Hamby, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Arike Ogunbowale, Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard and Skylar Diggins-Smith

Dearica Hamby totaled game highs in points (25 on 10-for-17 FG, 1-for-2 3PT, 4-for-5 FT) and rebounds (11), notching her 42nd career double-double and her 16th of the season. This ties two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star Elena Delle Donne for 32nd all-time. The All-Star also tallied four assists, one steal and one block

Rae Burrell matched her career high with three steals, which she also recorded Sept. 6 in Chicago

Stephanie Talbot picked up her 300th career assist in the game

The Sparks shot 90.0% (18-for-20) from the free-throw line and 45.2% from the field (33-for-73), also tallying a season-high 13 steals. L.A. scored 58 of its points in the paint, outscoring Seattle in the key by 10

The Sparks close out the regular season at home against the Phoenix Mercury (Sept. 17) and away vs. the Minnesota Lynx (Sept. 19).

Check out the Los Angeles Sparks Statistics

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