Sparks Win in Las Vegas Behind Jackson's Scoring Career High

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WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

Sparks Win in Las Vegas Behind Jackson's Scoring Career High

June 12, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release


Los Angeles Sparks (4-7) at Las Vegas Aces (4-4)

Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final

Sparks 29 21 21 26 97

Aces 17 24 24 24 89

First Quarter:

Forward-center Azurá Stevens scored the first Sparks basket off an assist by guard Odyssey Sims at the 8:27 mark

After the Aces' led 9-2, forward Rickea Jackson hit three triples to give the Sparks an 11-9 lead with 5:01 remaining in the quarter. All three shots were assisted by guard Kelsey Plum

Jackson already had her season highs in scoring and 3s in the first quarter with 14 points and four threes made, respectively. The forward went 5-for-7 from the floor and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc

The Sparks went on a 26-8 run to end the first quarter, holding the Aces to just two made baskets during that stretch

Los Angeles shot 78.6% from the field and 85.7% from beyond the arc in the first quarter, assisting on 10 of its 11 made field goals

The Sparks scored 29 points in the first quarter, their most in a first quarter this season

Forward Dearica Hamby tallied seven points, three rebounds and three assists in the first quarter, while Plum dished a game-high four assists

Second Quarter:

The Sparks opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 39-19 lead

Hamby ended an Aces 11-0 run with a triple, assisted by Plum, to give Los Angeles a 42-30 lead with 4:37 left in the half

Ending the first half with 13 points, Stevens scored 11 of those in the second quarter alone

Los Angeles limited Las Vegas to 31.4% shooting in the first half and outscored the home team 22-8 in the paint

The Sparks' shot 58.8% from the field, their highest in a half this season and tied for their highest 3PT field goal percentage in a half with 57.1%

The Sparks' 50 first-half points tied their most in a first half this season and are their second-most in any half

The Sparks' 16 assists in the first half tied their most for a half this season. Plum dished a game-high six assists in the first half, her most in a half this season

Third Quarter:

Jackson recovered the jump ball, taking it all the way and completing an and-one with 1:12 left in the quarter, boosting the Sparks lead to 67-59

Jackson scored eight points in the third quarter on 3-for-4 shooting and 2-for-3 free throws

The Sparks went 10-for-11 in free throws in the third quarter

Plum scored six points in the third, all on free throws (6-for-6)

Fourth Quarter:

Hamby recorded seven points (2-for-2 FG) and three assists in the final quarter

In six minutes of fourth-quarter action, Jackson scored eight points in the fourth, going 2-for-2 from the field and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. She also tallied two rebounds in the quarter

Forward Liatu King was a +6 in the fourth, scoring five points (2-for-2 FG, 1-for-2 FT) and grabbing one rebound

Los Angeles shot 72.7% in the fourth quarter, while Las Vegas finished the quarter with a 47.4% field goal percentage. The Sparks also out-rebounded the Aces, 10-5, in the fourth

Main Takeaways:

Forward Rickea Jackson scored a career-high 30 points, making a career-high 11 field goals. She was also 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line

Forward-center Azurá Stevens secured her fourth double-double of the season, recording a statline of 19 points and 10 rebounds

Forward Dearica Hamby recorded 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals

Guard Kelsey Plum matched her season high in assists with nine, narrowly missing her sixth career double-double. She finished with 13 points on a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

The Sparks went 56.9% from the field, their highest field goal percentage yet this season. Los Angeles also finished with 24 assists in the contest, tying its highest number this season. The Sparks shot 9-for-20 (45.0%) from deep and outscored the Aces 44-32 in the paint

Los Angeles' bench collectively went 6-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-3 from distance, recording 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal

With the win, the Sparks raised $3,000 for Social Justice Partners LA, which invests in, expands and connects communities advancing racial and social justice. Through four Commissioner's Cup games, Los Angeles has now raised $8,000 for SJP LA

Pregame Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On the key to the Sparks' successful transition plays:

"We have to rebound, and that's why we lost to [the] Golden State [Valkyries]. It came down to that. We watched all 17 of those offensive rebounds after the game and it's hard to score when you don't have the ball, so we have to rebound. I've given them a lot of freedom in transition to get it and go. So I think [the key is] just the confidence and freedom to go, but we gotta rebound better."

On how the team is growing from their previous loss to the Aces:

"We're going one day at a time, staying in the moment. We were just here nine days ago, so yes, we're obviously going to watch that film and break down things that they do and things that troubled us [on] both sides, but also understand that there's a process and we're focused on ourselves. We're about almost a quarter of the way through this season and so we've gotta really start playing with some urgency."

Postgame Press Conference Quotes:

Head Coach Lynne Roberts

On the Sparks' explosive first quarter:

"I think that set the tone. Rickea [Jackson] hit a couple threes that made everybody feel really confident and that set the tone. Her confidence and aggressiveness, I think that everyone fed off of it, so I thought those were huge, the two that she hit. Everybody played loose and aggressive, and the plan was to really move the ball. [Kelsey Plum] did a good job of that, finding other people, and they're so keyed on her. Dearica [Hamby] again almost with a triple double, seven assists, I don't know many centers in this league getting those kinds of numbers."

On how they pushed through the third quarter:

"Everybody knows that Vegas has a run in them, and they're too talented, but I thought progress for us was in that third quarter. We didn't get tight, and we talked about that in a timeout, and I thought they responded. We just kept moving the ball and trusting each other ... and so I do feel like we're getting more and more consistent, we just gotta keep stacking games like that."

Rickea Jackson

On whether this was a statement game for her:

"I just come in [and] do my job, I feel like my teammates were just finding me. We were making the right play. I feel like we were moving the ball really well, tied our [season] high in assists, so that just goes to show when we're moving the ball, great things like this happen. All my teammates had confidence knocking it down themselves, so we were just finding each other, and it's just fun to play like that, and I feel like [when] we play like that, we're all gonna set a statement, not just one person."

On how she utilizes her physicality and length against opponents:

"All my life, I more so played the [power forward], so just being able to know that's my bread and my butter. That's what I feel like got me in the league, just being able to do my work in the four, but being at the [small forward], they are shorter, so being able to attack them, making sure I can shoot over them. That's what comes with the versatility. And then, [I've] been really working hard in that weight room, so taking bumps and getting and-ones."

Dearica Hamby

On what contributed to the team's win:

"After each game, win or loss, just continue to build and we were just focused on making the right plays, like [Rickea Jackson] said. We have a very, very talented roster and so, if we continue to make the right plays, we'll make the right shots."

What's Next?: The Sparks travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Lynx Saturday, June 14 (10 a.m. PT).

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