LOS ANGELES — The Sparks are looking to extended their winning streak and move closer to earning a trip to the playoffs in the first time in five seasons when they host the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
“If we want to be in the playoffs, we’ve got to win our home games,” Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said.
The Sparks have won both matchups against the Sun this season – 92-88 at home on July 13 and 101-86 on the road on July 24.
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts believes her team’s recent scoring surge, with Plum, Rickea Jackson, Azurá Stevens and Dearica Hamby combining for 85 of the team’s 100 points in Tuesday’s nine-point win over the Indiana Fever, is sustainable.
“I don’t see why it isn’t,” said Roberts, whose squad has scored 100 or more in its past four victories. “I think the balance is what makes it tough.”
“Rickea is such a tough guard and you can put somebody smaller on her to match her athleticism or speed or you can put somebody bigger on her to match her size and either way she’s going to make you wrong,” Roberts continued. “I don’t think that’s going to change from here to the end of the season. I could go down the list. Dearica is who she is. She’s so efficient… Z (Azurá), she was 5 for 5 from 3. Is she always going to be 5 for 5 from 3? No, but you have to guard her and that’s going to open things up … the thing about KP (Plum) is we all know she could go for 40 but she wants to win more than go for 40.”
The Sparks (13-15) have won seven of their last eight games. Jackson says the team’s chemistry is largely to credit.
“I feel like this is just a fun group and again, we’re building that chemistry on and off the court,” said Jackson, who like Plum scored 25 points in defeating the Fever. “When we’re playing like that and feeding off each other’s energy, that’s fun. That’s when we’re going on our runs and that’s when we’re not flinching because we trust each other that much.”
In the win, Plum shot 7 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, and made 8 of her 10 free throws. The All-Star guard recorded the seventh double-double of her career with 11 assists.
“I think I’m best when I take less shots to be honest,” Plum said. “And not just that but being very decisive and trying to really read the defense. Sometimes my competitive spirit gets the best of me and I just try to make something happen but I thought I was really patient (Tuesday night) and just reading what they were giving me and credit to my teammates, Dearica (Hamby) did an incredible job making herself available, rolling, posting up, Azurá (Stevens), when they move, it makes my job super easy.”
The Sparks led by as much as 22 points in the fourth quarter before the Fever cut it to six points late. Stevens, who scored 19 points, responded by draining her fifth 3-pointer and Plum made two free throws as the Sparks hit the 100-point mark for the fourth time in the last five games.
Hamby recorded 14 of her 16 points in the first half.
Another big factor was Sparks forward Cameron Brink, who recorded five blocked shots in less than 16 minutes off the bench. It was her third game back under a minutes restriction after her rookie season ended in mid-June when she tore her ACL.
The Sparks improved to 4-9 at Crypto.com Arena, the second-worst home record in the league.
However, with 8-2 record over their last 10 games, the Sparks have risen to ninth in the league standings, one spot out of the playoffs behind the Golden State Valkyries, whom they will play on the road Saturday night.
The Sun (5-23) are coming off an 82-66 defeat Tuesday in Phoenix. Former Sparks guard Marina Mabrey led Connecticut with 18 points. The Sun shot 34.7% from the field on 25-of-72 shooting, while allowing the Mercury to jump out to a 26-6 first-quarter lead.
SUN (5-23) AT SPARKS (13-15)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
I asked Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts if Kelsey Plum, Rickea Jackson, Azura Stevens and Dearica Hamby scoring 85 of the team’s 100 points against the Indiana Fever sustainable.
Here’s what she had to say about the team’s pace and space offense: pic.twitter.com/7BuI3G4taH
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) August 6, 2025
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