Plum delivers late-game heroics for Sparks

In front of 13,598 fans, the Los Angeles Sparks escaped with a dramatic 81–80 win over the Dallas Wings. It was truly do-or-die for Dallas to keep playoff hopes alive, and Paige Bueckers nearly pulled it off with a historic 44-point performance. But in the end, the Sparks leaned on Rickea Jackson’s scoring, Julie “JuJu” Allemand’s orchestration, and Kelsey Plum’s buzzer-beating floater to walk away with the victory.

First Quarter Struggles

The Sparks couldn’t buy a bucket to start the game. Fans, following Sparks tradition, stood until the first field goal went in — and they were on their feet for 5 minutes and 46 seconds before Los Angeles finally scored. In that span, the Sparks missed layups, jumpers, and gave away possessions, all while Dallas raced ahead.

The frustration was palpable on the floor and in the stands. Even Coach Lynne Roberts’ frustration boiled over — earning her a technical foul during the drought. Loyal fans stayed on their feet, but the wait only heightened the tension that would eventually be released in the game’s final moments.

Jackson Sets the Tone

When the Sparks finally broke through, Rickea Jackson lit up the first quarter with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Her hot start carried Los Angeles out of its early slump and gave the team the offensive punch it desperately needed.

Rickea Jackson, on her mindset:

“The mindset was just: [make] the shots if the ball is passed to me [and] moving the ball. I feel like the beginning of the game—on both ends—[looked] like [we’d] been off for a couple of days. I literally said, ‘why does it feel like we haven’t played in a minute?’ But, we picked it up. The first five minutes [were] crazy, but we picked it up and we started moving the ball, so it was just a team effort, finding each other, and just continuing to stick together.”

Allemand Anchors the Offense

After warmups and before tip off I was able to catch up with Julie “JuJu” Allemand’s, spoke candidly about her role as the Sparks’ facilitator and how she approaches games where her team needs her to set the tone, and her excitement about her first triple double.

Julie Allemand (pregame interview)

“I didn’t realize at first how big [the triple-double] was, but my teammates kept reminding me. I’m not someone who forces things, but that night I pushed myself to make it happen. It took everything out of me because being everywhere on the court is exhausting. But that’s my role—facilitating, defending, being aggressive when needed. I know I don’t have to be the scorer every night, but I have to be ready to do whatever my team needs. Especially tonight after the loss in D.C., we knew this game was super important. We couldn’t afford to let it slip.”

Allemand backed up her words with another steady playmaking night, finishing with eight assists. One of her most important came in the third quarter when she found Azurá Stevens for a timely three-pointer that shifted momentum back in the Sparks’ favor. Her fingerprints were everywhere — running the offense, calming the tempo, and keeping the Sparks connected when the game got scrappy.

Plum Closes the Curtain

Kelsey Plum fought through a rough shooting night, but she stayed ready for the moment. With seconds remaining, Plum floated in the game-winning bucket — her 20th point of the night — snapping Dallas’s playoff hopes and sending Sparks fans home elated after an anxious start.

Plum’s Resilience Pays Off

For much of the night, Plum’s confidence was tested. In the first half she shot 4-for-9 from the field and 1-for-4 from deep, unable to find her rhythm. Things only got tougher in the third quarter, where she managed just a single free throw and went scoreless from the floor.

By the fourth, frustration could have easily taken over. Plum went 5-for-12 in the final quarter but missed all three of her three-point attempts. It was the type of night where a player might lose faith in their shot and let the game slip away.

But Plum never stopped trusting herself — or her teammates. She kept attacking, kept putting herself in position, and when it mattered most, she made the most fundamental play in basketball: a floater off the glass.

That one bucket flipped the script. All the misses, all the frustration, all the tension from a tough night faded in an instant, replaced by the confidence that comes from delivering with everything on the line.

Bueckers’ Historic Night Falls Short

For Dallas, Paige Bueckers gave a performance for the ages. She scored 44 points on 17-for-21 shooting in 36 minutes, attacking at every level of the floor. Her relentless offense nearly carried the Wings to survival, but even her brilliance couldn’t overcome Plum’s dagger in the final seconds.

Roberts on Staying Steady

Afterward, Coach Lynne Roberts talked about the importance of managing her emotions during such a tense game:

“It helps me be a better coach to stay steady so the players don’t feed off my energy one way or the other. No lead is comfortable in this league, and Paige [Bueckers] was unbelievable tonight.”

What’s Next

The Sparks now get a five-day rest before hosting the Phoenix Mercury (Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. PT), followed by the Indiana Fever (Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. PT) and the Washington Mystics (Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. PT). With just nine games left, every contest is critical in the playoff push.

Coach Roberts made it clear that her focus is always on the moment, not the schedule ahead:

“I don’t even know who we play next. I’m only focused on the team in front of us.”

That steady, one-game-at-a-time approach will be tested as the Sparks try to turn this thrilling win into postseason momentum.