Dearica Hamby’s late 3-point play lifts Sparks past Storm
LOS ANGELES — The first back-to-back of the Sparks’ season met their breakneck style of play — two opposites colliding, with the latter proving impenetrable.
Dearica Hamby scored seven points in the final 1:25 to help the Sparks erase a seven-point deficit. With 5.6 seconds remaining, she drove past Dominique Malonga for an and-1 layup, and converted the ensuing free throw to give the Sparks a 94-91 victory over the Seattle Storm at Cyrpto.com Arena on Sunday.
The Storm had a chance to answer, but Julie Allemand read Skylar Diggins’ pass and broke up the play, bellowing in glee as the final buzzer sounded.
Timely plays like Allemand’s came from throughout the roster to help the Sparks overcome the back-to-back and earn a crucial win in their fight for a playoff berth.“Everybody contributed,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “When it’s a total team win, that’s what learning how to win looks like.”
Cameron Brink scored a season-high 14 points in 11 minutes off the bench as she continues to grow more comfortable. Hamby ended with 19, and was perfect on all three of her free throws in the final moments. Allemand and Julie Vanloo each grabbed three steals and controlled the pace of the game.
Kelsey Plum, consistent as ever, led the Sparks with 20 points and seven assists.
Twice on Sunday, it seemed like the Sparks (15-16) would succumb to the inevitable fatigue tied to playing two games in as many days. But neither time did they fold.
“I’m super proud of the bounce-back,” Plum said. “There’s something to this team. We’re young, we’re competitive, we’re hungry.”
The first of those challenges came when the Storm (16-16) jumped out to a 20-5 lead.
The Sparks committed eight turnovers in the first seven minutes. They conceded offensive rebounds on consecutive possessions, both resulting in Diggins’ jump shots. They struggled to contain the speed of the Storm’s newly acquired guard, Brittney Sykes.
Ultimately, the Storm went on a 16-0 run before Plum went coast-to-coast for an and-1 layup that stopped the bleeding.
Rae Burrell’s impact helped the Sparks turn the game around, too. She scored all eight of her points in the first half, her left-wing 3-pointer cutting the margin to three before Plum hit a game-tying pull-up 3.
After overcoming that early gap, the Sparks and Storm traded leads throughout the third quarter, and into the fourth, each trying to outrun the other. The Sparks continued to seek early shot-clock 3-point attempts, converting on 14-of-27 from deep. The Storm, on the other hand, found success in their pick-and-roll as the Sparks were constantly late on their weak-side rotations.
Molanga, the 6-foot-6 rookie, showed the Sparks what they could have had if they’d retained the second pick. She scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, including a short jumper that put Seattle up 80-78. Sykes scored 10 of her game-high 27 points in the final quarter, and Seattle’s adjustment to have her defend Plum quieted the Sparks’ lead guard.
“She gives them some serious firepower off the dribble,” Roberts said of Sykes, whom the Storm acquired in a trade with the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.
After Diggins hit a midrange jump shot to put Seattle up 87-80 with 2:52 left, the Sparks, again, could have fallen at the hands of exhaustion. But they engineered another surge.
Azura Stevens hit a right-wing 3-pointer and then set up Hamby to draw a foul on a cut to the basket, her two free throws tying the game. Plum drew a subsequent trip to the line on the following possession to restore the Sparks’ lead. Sykes answered, driving past Plum for a scoop layup that knotted things at 89.
Hamby and Sykes traded baskets again, but Hamby and the Sparks got the final say. Roberts noted that the last play was drawn up for Rickea Jackson, but the Storm denied her the ball, forcing Hamby to improvise. She took on Malonga and found just enough space to lay home the deciding shot.
“It’s exciting to play that kind of game,” Allemand said. “And in the end, when you make that shot that you need, it’s a great feeling. We felt like we won as a team.”
The Sparks have won four of their past five games, and nine of their past 11. They are now 12-0 when they score 90 or more points. They sit 1/2 a game behind the Storm for the final playoff spot and host the New York Liberty (20-11) on Tuesday.