Sparks Silence Storm in Vital Road Comeback
WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

Sparks Silence Storm in Vital Road Comeback

Published on September 2, 2025 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release


Los Angeles Sparks (19-20) at Seattle Storm (22-20)

Game 39 | Sept. 1, 2025 | Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle, WA | NBATV

Game Leaders:

Sparks

PTS - Dearica Hamby (27)

REB - Dearica Hamby (11)

AST - Kelsey Plum (7)

Storm

PTS - Nneka Ogwumike (21)

REB - Ezi Magbegor (5)

AST - Skylar Diggins (6)

Main Takeaways:

The Sparks' 91-85 road victory secured the season series against the Storm, 3-1. Los Angeles is now one and a half games behind Seattle and Indiana for the seventh and eighth playoff spot. The Sparks hold the tiebreaker with both the Storm and Fever

Los Angeles came back to win a game it trailed by 17 or more for the 14th time in franchise history

Dearica Hamby finished with 27 points (13-for-18 FG) and 11 rebounds, both game highs, to record her 54th career double-double and 12th of the season, tying Glory Johnson for 26th on the WNBA's all-time list. With four offensive rebounds, Hamby set the Sparks' single-season record, overtaking Monday's opponent Nneka Ogwumike's mark of 98 set in 2012

Rickea Jackson tallied 23 points (7-for-14 FG, 8-for-9 FT), two rebounds and one steal. The Sparks are now 9-1 when Jackson scores 20 or more. The second-year forward matched her career high with eight made free throws

Kelsey Plum added 14 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals. The eight-year guard also finished with a team-high +10 rating. It was her 15th performance of the year with at least seven assists

Rae Burrell recorded 11 points (5-for-6 FG, 1-for-1 3PT), four rebounds and a season-high-tying three assists in 20 minutes off the bench

Cameron Brink notched nine points on 3-for-6 shooting with five rebounds and one block

Los Angeles shot 52.2% (35-for-67 FG) from the field and 89.5% (17-for-19 FT) from the free-throw line. The Sparks are 14-1 overall and 8-0 on the road this season when scoring 90+ points

The Sparks outscored the Storm 60-30 in the paint, reinforcing their status as the league's top team in paint scoring, averaging 41.4 points per game

First Quarter:

Forward Dearica Hamby scored the Sparks' first six points with a trio of layups

Forward-center Azurá Stevens buried Los Angeles' first three-pointer at the 5:01 mark of the first quarter

Hamby finished a putback layup to end a 10-0 Storm run with 1:47 remaining in the opening period

Forward Rae Burrell drained a three-pointer of her own to make the score 20-18, Seattle. She scored five points in three minutes (2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 3PT) off the bench

Forward Cameron Brink recorded a quarter-high four rebounds, and guard Kelsey Plum recorded a quarter-high two steals

Hamby led all scorers in the first quarter with eight points on 4-for-7 shooting

The opening quarter featured three lead changes and two ties

Second Quarter:

Guard Sarah Ashlee Barker opened scoring for the Sparks with a layup via an assist from Burrell at the 8:42 mark

Jackson converted an and-one after finishing a left-handed layup. The second-year forward scored four points on the possession, including a technical free throw

With 19 seconds left in the first half, Burrell converted a jump shot off an assist from Hamby to cut Los Angeles' deficit to 50-39

The Sparks secured six offensive rebounds in the first half, also outrebounding their opponents by six overall

Burrell scored nine points off the bench on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the first half, draining her only attempt from distance

Stevens and Brink tallied a game-high-tying five rebounds in the opening half

Los Angeles led in paint points, 26-14, in the first half

Third Quarter:

Plum scored the Sparks' first points of the second half, completing a three-point play after finishing a driving layup

Jackson scored two two-point baskets on back-to-back possessions, cutting the Sparks' deficit to six

Brink completed the Sparks' second and third and-one of the quarter after finishing two layups through contact at the 4:22 mark and 2:54 mark of the third quarter

Hamby converted two back-to-back layups- both with assistance from Plum- at the 1:36 mark and 1:19 mark to make the score 68-60, Storm advantage. The 11th-year forward grabbed a quarter-high four boards

Jackson banked in a deep three-pointer as time expired to bring the score to 73-68 heading into the fourth quarter. The second-year wing finished the period with a quarter-high nine points (4-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 3PT)

Plum contributed eight points of her own (3-for-5 FG, 1-for-1 FT) and dished four assists

In the third, the Sparks shot 70.6% (12-for-17) from the field and outscored the Storm 18-6 in the paint

Fourth Quarter:

Hamby scored the Sparks' first six points of the quarter, beginning at the 7:54 mark with a driving layup via an assist from Jackson to cut the Sparks' deficit 76-70

The Sparks reclaimed the lead for the first time at 86-85 since the 4:23 mark of the first quarter after a Hamby three-point play

The Sparks went on an 11-0 run from the 2:33 mark to the 0:21 mark of the fourth

Hamby scored a quarter-high 11 points in the fourth, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line with three rebounds, also a quarter high

The stingy Sparks defense limited the Storm to 12 points in the fourth quarter on 23.8% from the field and 0-for-7 from beyond the arc

Los Angeles shot 64.5% in the second half, outscoring Seattle 52-32 overall and 34-16 in the paint. The Sparks also outrebounded the Storm, 18-10, in the last 20 minutes

Pregame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On Kelsey Plum's leadership:

"I think [Kelsey Plum] came to the Sparks and was ready for the challenge of being the head of the snake, right? And so with that, it's a process of learning how to do that, when to know how to get your teammates involved, when to know it's your time to take over, [and] how to get your shots. She has the skill and the ability to get her shot off at any time, but that doesn't always necessarily mean that's what we need right now. So I've really seen her grow in that regard, where she's trying to lead the team but also be the go-to, and I think she's done a tremendous job. She came to the Sparks to get this thing where we want it to be, and me too. It's been fun to partner with her in that [regard], and I think she's grown a lot. As you said, the numbers, the statistics, [they] speak for themselves, but just seeing her in the locker room and the growth there is really cool."

On Dearica Hamby's and Azurá Stevens' steadiness during a pivotal season stretch:

I think we have the most games remaining, which is good because there's opportunities for us to get wins. But it's tough with the physical demands, the mental demands, and travel. [Dearica Hamby and Azurá Stevens are] just pros. They handle their business, they do what they need to do, they show how you show up. They're front and center in film sessions, they're asking the right questions, and they're engaged. In a word, they're just consistent. I think that's what it takes during these tough stretches, when we're making a push and every team in the league is tired right now. Everybody's banged up and injured, every team's got stuff. They show up the same every time, and that helps our younger guys follow that lead."

On the challenge the Storm pose:

"I don't know if they're the oldest team in the league, and by old, I just mean experienced. Those guys have played a lot of basketball, they've been in a lot of big games. The message whenever we play Seattle is just to keep swinging. I think at our place, we started the game down 18-4 or something like that, but we didn't panic, didn't flinch, [and] ended up coming back and winning that, taking control of the game. I think Seattle can put some serious runs on you with their transition offense and their size. We certainly do not want them to get going from three because that just adds to their firepower. I think for us, we've just got to stay steady, stay consistent, stick with what we're doing, [and] go from there."

Postgame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On Rickea Jackson's ability to close out games:

"Rickea [Jackson] has been tremendous closing games out. We just have so much confidence in her. Dearica [Hamby], [Kelsey Plum], they kept us close... [Rickea]'s a winner and can just make plays down the stretch. She's done it for us all season. I think she's just competitive as hell. Nobody can guard her. She's got, obviously, the talent, right? There's talent across the league, but... she doesn't fear the moment. It's one thing to be able to hit the shot, to get your number called, it's nothing to want it. And I think that's what separates her."

On moving onto Atlanta:

"It's one at a time. It's been one at a time the whole season. So, we got Atlanta and then Atlanta, but we're focused on Game 1 with them. We haven't played them in a long time. I was watching the film today, and we're a totally different team... not only how we play, but who's healthy now, right? We didn't have Rae [Burrell], we didn't have [Cameron Brink]. We didn't have [Rickea] at that game... I stopped [the film] after the second quarter. I was like, 'this isn't even the same group.' So, we haven't played them in a long time. They're very good, but we just got a one-game season right now."

Dearica Hamby

On pushing through in the second half:

"We were just confident the whole game even though we were down at a certain point. Coach [Lynne Roberts] is always just super positive, and she always manifests things for us. She is just a big believer, and with seven minutes left, we talked about it. I was like, 'if we stay at what we're doing, they're gonna fold,' and we had the confidence going into the last three or four minutes."

On what changed to swing momentum:

"They were out on their bodies the first half from the three-point line, and some of that we wanted to give up. But, we were kind of giving up open threes, and we just talked about a half, like, we didn't think that they could sustain that, and for them to go make nine more threes than us and us to win by six is crazy. We just kind of stayed with the game plan of what we wanted to do, and we knew that it would would change for us."

On the positivity from Coach Roberts and team growth:

"The same thing since the beginning of the season. Beginning of the season, we might not have won this game. I think we've just shown growth collectively starting with her positivity and her belief. We've learned how to win in close games."

Rickea Jackson

On advantages playing at the four position:

"I feel like we went small, and we have quickness, athleticism [and] get the ball out. Everyone can get a bucket... Going against their bigs, they're taller, maybe a little bit slower, so we can take them off the dribble [and] shoot the three. So, I just felt like I really loved that lineup because they're so versatile. We can guard them as well with our height."

On her key block and playing through injury:

"I feel like any block that can seal the game is my favorite. So, that definitely was my favorite, because I'm like, it's gotta be going to [Nnkea Ogwumike]... You never want to help off strongside, but I'm like, 'If you're gonna do it, you better get it.' So, I'm like, 'Look, let's just try it. It worked out for the best. But I felt like it has been tough, you know, overthinking a little bit in a sense of, you don't want to push too hard, but at the same time, if you're out there, you gotta play hard. So, I've been trying to find that balance, but I've been way better. I was able to get downhill today, and not just down the perimeter. I feel like teams have been trying to see how my leg is. First play of the game, they try to come at me, which is cute, but I feel like [I] just gotta play through it. But, I'm definitely feeling way better now, so that's good."

What's Next?:

The Sparks travel to Atlanta for consecutive matchups against the Dream on Sept. 3 and Sept. 5, both games tipping off at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Check out the Los Angeles Sparks Statistics

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from September 2, 2025


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