Sparks Are the Storm, Hamby Hits Game-Winner
August 11, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release
Seattle Storm (16-16) at Los Angeles Sparks (15-16)
Game 31 | Aug. 10, 2025 | Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles, CA | Spectrum SportsNet
Attendance: 11,796
Game Leaders:
Storm
PTS - Brittney Sykes (27)
REB - Dominique Malonga (11)
AST - Skylar Diggins (6)
Sparks
PTS - Kelsey Plum (20)
REB - Azurá Stevens (8)
AST - Julie Allemand (8)
First Quarter:
Forward-center Azurá Stevens scored Los Angeles' first points of the game with a cutting layup, assisted by forward Rickea Jackson, at the 8:02 mark. On the next Sparks possession, Stevens made the first three-pointer of the game off an assist from forward Dearica Hamby
Hamby recorded an emphatic block on a Brittney Sykes attempt with the score, 8-5 Seattle, and 5:11 left in the quarter
Guard Kelsey Plum completed a three point play with a running layup followed by a free throw at the 1:10 mark to end Seattle's 15-0 run
On the Sparks next possession, Plum nailed a three-pointer from the right wing and finished the quarter with a team-high six points
With only 14 seconds left in the first quarter, Jackson drained a three-pointer assisted by guard Julie Vanloo, capping a Sparks 9-0 run that cut the Storm's lead to 24-14
Second Quarter:
Forward Rae Burrell drained a three to open the second quarter scoring. Shortly after, she assisted Hamby on a layup to cut L.A.'s deficit to seven. Burrell scored a game-high-tying eight points in the quarter (3-for-4 FG, 2-for-2 3PT)
At the 7:24 mark of the second quarter, Plum dished a full-court assist to Burrell for a fast-break layup to make the score 29-23. Burrell followed on the next Sparks possession with a three-pointer to bring L.A. within three. Plum then tied the game at 29 with a transition three-pointer at the 6:30 mark after a Vanloo steal in the backcourt
Plum hit a contested turnaround jump shot to tie the game at 31 before burying a three-pointer to give the Sparks their first lead since the 7:18 mark of the first quarter
Forward Cameron Brink made two baskets in quick succession to extend the Sparks' lead to 44-37
Guard Julie Allemand got a steal and completed a fast break layup at the 1:06 mark to give the Sparks a nine-point lead
The Sparks shot 72.2% from the floor and 71.2% from deep in the quarter with eight assists, scoring 32 points
Plum led the Sparks with 14 first-half points (5-for-6 FG, 3-for-4 3PT, 1-for-1 FT)
In the first half, the Sparks led in fast break points 19-2
Third Quarter:
Stevens began the third quarter with a made layup assisted by Allemand. She followed on the next possession with a three-pointer, bringing the score to 51-45, L.A. advantage
Plum stopped on a dime to drop her defender before dishing an assist to Hamby for a layup with 6:16 remaining in the third quarter. On the next Sparks possession, Hamby grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a driving layup to extend the lead to six
Vanloo sank a free throw and on the next play buried a triple off of a Brink offensive rebound, widening the Sparks lead to 65-61
Brink drained a three-pointer, assisted by Plum, with 56 seconds left in the half to give the Sparks a five point lead
The Sparks led by as many as eight in the third quarter
Fourth Quarter:
Brink scored the Sparks' first five points of the quarter, including a putback layup, and her second three-pointer of game on the following possession to give the Sparks a 73-71 lead
Brink blocked Nneka Ogwumike and then got a steal on the same defensive possession, leading to a fast break
Allemand made a three-pointer from the right wing off of a Plum assist at the 5:57 mark to give the Sparks a three point lead
Stevens sank a triple, assisted by Allemand, at the 1:59 mark to cut the Sparks deficit to 87-85
Hamby evened the score at 87-87 after two made free throws at the 1:25 mark
Plum followed suit the next possession to give the Sparks a two-point lead
Allemand hit Hamby on a pick-and-roll through the lane for a layup to give the Sparks the lead 91-89 with 17.9 left in the game
Hamby completed an and-one to clinch the win with five seconds left in the game, making the final score 94-91
Main Takeaways:
The Sparks shot 53.1% (34-for-64 FG) from the field, 51.9% (14-for-27 3PT) from three-point range and 92.3% (12-for-13 FT) from the free-throw line. Los Angeles also recorded a season-high 14 made three-pointers
Los Angeles matched its season high in bench scoring with 26 points, as its reserves shot 60.0% from the floor and 71.4% (5-for-7) from deep. The bench also contributed six assists and five steals
The game featured 10 lead changes and nine ties, eight of which were in the second half
Kelsey Plum recorded 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds. She is now tied for second-most 20+ performances by a Spark in a single season
19 - Nneka Ogwumike (2017)
18 - Kelsey Plum (2025) / Nneka Ogwumike (2023) / Nneka Ogwumike (2016)
Azurá Stevens tied Jonquel Jones' 2024 record for most three-pointers made in a single season (59) by a player 6'6" or taller... and Stevens did it in eight fewer games than Jones. The forward-center also had a team-high eight rebounds and scored 15 points (6-for-8 FG, 3-for-3 3PT)
Dearica Hamby tallied 19 points (8-for-13 FG, 3-for-3 FT), seven rebounds, two blocks and two assists. She also tied Rae Burrell for a game-high +13 rating
Cameron Brink recorded her season high in points with 14 and finished with a stat line of five rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block
Julie Allemand tied her career high in steals with three, had a game-high eight assists and contributed five points and two rebounds
Julie Vanloo matched her career high and recorded a season high in steals with three
Pregame Quotes:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts
On what Brittney Sykes adds to Seattle's roster:
"[Brittney Sykes] is good. She's an All-Star. She brings another athlete to their perimeter, [she's] someone that can really, on both sides of the floor, affect the game. She's confident, she can get downhill. She's not afraid of taking tough mid-range [shots], and she can make them. She can get to the basket, and then defensively, [she's] just another athlete that can help defend, and so she makes them better for sure."
On the Sparks' mentality heading into their second game of a back-to-back:
"[We want to see] toughness. This is what the league is [about], everyone goes through it, and no one's going to feel sorry for us, including me or them. We've got to be locked in. This is part of playing in the WNBA. And is it hard? Sure. Is it a reason to not give it your all? Not at all. So [we're] not looking to give any excuse to not be our best in terms of effort and execution. Last night, we ran into a really good defensive team in Golden State, and then we just shot it really poorly. And it wasn't like there was just one or two people, it was everybody. [When] you play 44 games, it's going to happen. And so we've got to turn the page. The way we score it, I don't anticipate that being an issue today, but you've got to find other ways to win. [And] in regards to the back to back, we've got to be tough."
On tapping into Kelsey Plum's playmaking ability:
"I think [Kelsey Plum's] learned that when she's creating for others, it opens up things for her. And I think you saw that in the Connecticut game. I think she only had one field goal attempt in the first half and then finished with 18 and scored some big buckets in the fourth quarter. And that's exactly what your best player should do, get everybody else involved and make sure we're kind of flowing. And then when they need you, you step up. So I think she's done a tremendous job. She's very smart, very self-aware and is able to say, 'I should have done this better or that better.' But at the end of the day, she's supremely confident because she's put in the work. So it's going to be a continued work in progress, just in terms of learning how to be that. But I think she's done a tremendous job."
Postgame Press Conference Quotes:
Head Coach Lynne Roberts
On adjusting to Seattle's offense:
"It's so hard to guard [Dominique Malonga], she's just so big and athletic. When they [went] really big, we went a little smaller with Rickea [Jackson] at the 4. As I always say, the knife cuts both ways - they gotta defend us, so it was a battle of wills. It seems like every time we play them, it's back and forth. We have some great length too, as you know, but we're banged up and tired and subbing a little more with that in mind. Seattle's a good team, and they got a lot of powerful vets in that roster, so [I] couldn't be more proud of the team. And yes, I'm tired, too, and I haven't played a minute."
On the Sparks learning to win difficult games:
"I think we're learning [and] not flinching, I think it took us a quarter to get the legs out from the game last night and the travel. You climb in bed at midnight, then you get up, and you gotta re-attack. It's emotionally hard and these guys chose to get up and re-attack. That's learning how to win, but not getting phased. They were up, 87-80, and [Azurá Stevens] hit a layup, then we called her number for the three and she knocked it down. Suddenly, the crowd's back and that's just learning how to win. The worst thing you can do is fear losing. The worst thing that can happen is [taking a loss], but you don't want to think about losing, you want to think about just winning the next play and staying in attack mode. Dearica [Hamby] made a play, they blew up the play that we were trying to run for Rickea [Jackson], and D just made a great [play] and then hit her free throws. She was huge. Huge plays. Julie [Allemand's] steal at the end. I mean, everybody contributed. Just like she said, it was a total team win. That's what learning how to win looks like."
Kelsey Plum
On her impact as a distributor this season:
"I think it's super important. I've always been known as a scorer, and I just think that I've learned over time my impact on the game. A lot of times, you can score, you're gonna draw attention, and find people, and as you can see on the run we've been on, we're better when I'm doing both. So, trying to pick my spots, it's tough. We played at Golden State, and they put a ton of pressure on the ball, so I was trying to get off of it, and we didn't make shots and stuff like that, but tonight, I was really proud. There were definitely times where we did make shots, but people just stayed in it. In this league, a lot of times, you just have to stay in it, and then it's like a one or two-possession game, and anything can happen. I was really proud of the plays people made down the stretch, and it's a growth moment for me, too, because a lot of times I was like, 'oh, I'm supposed to shoot it,' but it's just making a play."
On Julie Allemand's playmaking:
"Part of [my] contributions [is] being able to pass more, and that opens up that part of your game. It has grown so much, even over this last stretch of just seeing them win and seeing your teammates step up. I think the biggest story that no one's talking about is Julie [Allemand]. There's a big difference between Julie going to Eurobasket and then Julie (being) back, right? She runs pick-and-roll, her pace is unbelievable, she reads things super well. Julie doesn't get a lot of credit for her defense, her intensity, her competitiveness. She makes big plays. If you look back at our wins, especially down the stretch, Julie's making big plays, right? And so, I have a ton of faith in everyone, but especially when the person that's handling from the top is poised and centered. That brings everyone calmness. So that last play, like Coach said, it [blew] up, Julie just comes off the screen, hits [Dearica Hamby] for a pocket pass. That's a major luxury."
Julie Allemand
On the closing minute of the game:
"We're happy, we're playing for that kind of game, you know? It's exciting to play that kind of game, and at the end when you make the shot that we need, it's a great feeling as a team. It's everybody. When we play like that, we have so much fun, and it was tough for us at the beginning of the game, but then we came back. With the bench, we came back. When it's a team win, the feeling is so different, and it's just amazing to win like that."
What's Next?:
After completing their first back-to-back of the season, the Sparks will play three games in six days as they host the New York Liberty on Aug. 12 (7 p.m. PT) before road matchups against the Dallas Wings Aug. 15 (4:30 p.m. PT) and Washington Mystics Aug. 17 (12 p.m. PT).
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- Sparks Are the Storm, Hamby Hits Game-Winner - Los Angeles Sparks
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