LOS ANGELES — Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby combined for 44 points, but the Sparks missed an opportunity for their first consecutive wins of the season in an 89-81 overtime loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Plum had 24 points and seven assists and Hamby had 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists, but the Sparks were outscored 11-3 in the 5-minute overtime period, missing eight of their nine field-goal attempts. Golden State’s Kayla Thornton made a 3-pointer with 37.9 seconds left in overtime to help the visitors beat the Sparks (3-7) for the second time in three meetings so far this season.
Plum missed what would have been a game-winning floater as time expired in regulation. After the game, she went off about the officiating, noting that she only had six free-throw attempts (she made all of them) in 41 minutes.
“I’m going to get fined for saying this but I drive more than anyone in the league so to shoot six free throws is [expletive] absurd,” Plum said. “And I’ve got scratches on my face, scratches on my body and these guards on the other team get this ticky-tack fouls and I’m sick of it.
“I get fouled like that every possession. Rickea gets fouled like that in the post all time and they don’t call it. I don’t know what else to do. It’s really frustrating though. There’s multiple shots at the end of the game, either into the third, into the fourth where they’re just coming and [expletive] swinging and they just don’t call anything and I don’t understand how that’s six free throws. I’m playing 40 minutes touching the paint. Almost every play is absurd.”
However, Plum, who shot 35% from the field on 7 of 20 attempts, including 4-for-8 showing from 3-point range, acknowledged that she needed to make more shots during crunch time.
“It’s absurd and so I’m saying I’ll get fined for that and that’s fine and I needed to make more shots late game but they’re fouling the [expletive] out of me every single play,” Plum explained. “I’m very frustrated with that and I’m sick of it. I don’t know what I need to do. I talk to the refs nice. I pray before the game. Like [expletive], I’m over it.”
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said her team did not lack effort in the loss.
“We just couldn’t convert, but I really think our players played their butts off,” Roberts said. “We just couldn’t make shots and I would echo what Kelsey says.”
“Maybe I’ll get fined too,” Roberts continued. “That will be fun.”
Sparks center Azurá Stevens split a pair of free throws to give her team a 79-78 lead with 4:08 left in overtime. Golden State’s Veronica Burton and Thornton made consecutive layups for an 82-79 lead. Plum made a jumper to cut to it 82-81, but Golden State rookie forward Janelle Salaün’s putback layup made it 84-81 with 1:59 left then Thornton’s 3-pointer in front of her bench extended the lead to 87-81.
Plum missed a desperation 3-point attempt before the Sparks turned the ball over on a backcourt violation. Burton was fouled with 16.4 seconds left and made both free throws to secure the 89-81 victory on a night when the teams combined to shoot just 11 for 57 (19%) from 3-point range.
Golden State dominated the glass, outrebounding the Sparks 49-34 (17-6 at the offensive end).
The Sparks led 75-74 with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. Salaün drew a foul and made both free throws to give Golden State (4-5) a 76-75 lead with 47.5 seconds left.
The Sparks regained the lead when Plum delivered a step-back 3-pointer with 37.8 seconds left. Thornton then missed a layup, but Temi Fágbénlé grabbed the offensive rebound and rookie guard Carla Leite’s finger roll tied the score at 78-all with 25.1 seconds left.
For the Sparks, it was the second game with forward Rickea Jackson back in the starting lineup after she missed two games while taking personal time away from the team recently. The Sparks are 2-2 with Jackson, who finished with eight points.
“It’s great to have Rickea back,” Roberts said before the game. “Her length and size that was a definite impact for us against Dallas. She’s just a long, athletic player.”
Roberts said Jackson’s defensive versatility is just as important as her offensive impact.
“She’s coming along and again, like I said, it’s great to have her back,” Roberts said. “We’re a lot better when she’s on the floor.”
Salaün had 21 points and eight rebounds to pace the Valkyries, who began the game on an 11-3 run. Thornton finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Leite had 15 points and Fágbénlé added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Monique Billings contributed 10 points.
However, Plum and Hamby both scored nine points early and the Sparks battled back and trailed 25-23 at the end of the first quarter.
“For us, it’s control the controllables,” said Golden State coach Natalie Nakase, a former Marina High and UCLA standout who was an assistant coach with the Clippers and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces before the Valkyries tabbed her to be their head coach.
“We can control our destiny as crazy as that sounds, but that’s what I told them before Vegas (a 98-65 victory over the perennial contender on Saturday) if we just stick to the game plan and we’re organized then we’re going to give ourselves a great chance to win,” Nakase continued.
The Sparks kept pace as Plum’s 3-pointer tied the game at 38 with 1:26 to go before halftime. Hamby made both free throws to go up 40-38 with 1:03 remaining in the first half. Plum’s jumper made it 42-40. Hamby’s buzzer beating layup put the Sparks ahead 44-40 at halftime. Hamby had 15 points in the first half. Plum had 14 points.
The Sparks shot just 41.9% in the first half (13 for 31) but went 14 for 19 at the free-throw line compared to Golden State’s 6-for-7 showing. The Valkyries finished the night 20 for 23 at the free-throw line.
Golden State took a 54-53 lead on a floater by Leite with 4:44 left in the third quarter.
Hamby’s three-point play put the Sparks ahead 62-61 late in the third, but a jumper from Billings, a corner 3-pointer from Sparks guard Julie Allemand, and two Burton free throws left the teams deadlocked at 65 after three quarters.
UP NEXT
The Sparks play at Las Vegas (4-3) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Sparks are 0-1 against Las Vegas this season after losing, 96-81, on the road on May 30.
Kelsey Plum goes off about not getting foul calls in the Sparks’ 89-81 overtime loss to the Golden State Valkyries at home.
Plum said she anticipates being fined but she said it was important to advocate for herself.
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts supported Plum’s opinion. pic.twitter.com/3zsJsb7YFV
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 10, 2025
Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynne Roberts on Rickea Jackson being back in the Sparks starting lineup and her defensive impact as a wing defender. pic.twitter.com/xRfTMlgkF5
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 10, 2025
Natalie Nakase on the Golden State Valkyries control their own destiny on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks. pic.twitter.com/mpYVgv7Z8U
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 10, 2025
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