{"id":12841,"date":"2026-06-06T05:31:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T05:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=12841"},"modified":"2026-06-06T05:31:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T05:31:31","slug":"kelsey-plum-returns-but-sparks-fall-apart-late-in-loss-to-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=12841","title":{"rendered":"Kelsey Plum returns, but Sparks fall apart late in loss to Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 Kelsey Plum is a self-proclaimed competitor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited,\u201d the Sparks guard said before rejoining the lineup for the first time in more than a week. \u201cI think for me I really look forward to competition and no better competition than some of the (Dallas) guards over there on both ends of the floor so I\u2019m super excited and I\u2019m going to go out there and have fun tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Freddie Freeman\u2019s walk-off homer gives Dodgers a 1-0 victory over Angels<\/a><\/p>\n

Plum had 27 points and six assists and made an immediate impact in her first game back after missing the previous three with a sprained ankle injury, but the Sparks were outplayed in the fourth quarter in a 104-96 loss to the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to instill confidence and build that chemistry,\u201d Plum said. \u201cIt takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sparks (4-6) could not get enough defensive stops in the fourth and were outscored 27-18 on the way to their third straight loss.<\/p>\n

Plum was one of five Sparks to score in double figures. Ariel Atkins scored 16 points, Dearica Hamby had 15, Nneka Ogwumike had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Cameron Brink added 10 points off the bench.<\/p>\n

Arike Ogunbowale scored a game-high 30 points, shooting 6 for 11 from 3-point range, to pace Dallas (7-3), which won its fourth consecutive game. Jessica Shepard had a double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Paige Bueckers had a double-double (18 points, 14 assists), Maddy Siegrist added 16 points and rookie Azzi Fudd scored 11.<\/p>\n

Sparks guard Erica Wheeler made a pair of free throws to get her team within 97-95 with 2:13 to go. Ogunbowale\u2019s putback made it 99-95 with 1:47 remaining, then Plum made one of two free throws to cut it 99-96 with 1:06 remaining. Siegrist\u2019s putback gave Dallas a 101-96 lead with less than a minute to go, then the Sparks\u2019 inbound pass was stolen and the Wings secured the win.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

A three-point play from Plum gave the Sparks an 84-83 lead with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter, but Dallas responded with a 9-2 run, capped by Siegrist\u2019s running jump shot with 5:52 left.<\/p>\n

The Sparks, who led 55-54 at halftime, seemingly could not miss in the first half, shooting 64.7% from the field (22 for 34). Neither could the Wings, who shot 61.1% (22 for 36).<\/p>\n

An Ogunbowale 3-pointer put the Wings up 72-68 with 3:24 left in the third quarter, but an Ogwumike putback gave the Sparks a 77-75 lead late in the period and they held a 78-77 advantage heading into the fourth.<\/p>\n

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts wanted her team to play with pace and space, but did not want her players lured into playing one-on-one against Dallas\u2019 elite scorers.<\/p>\n

Read more U.S. Women\u2019s Open: Alison Lee, Ruoning Yin share 36-hole lead at Riviera<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt can be a trap,\u201d Roberts said before the game. \u201cIf my man goes down and scores on me, then I\u2019m going to try and go down and score on her. You have to avoid doing that. It\u2019s not a one-on-one battle. The team is either going to win or we\u2019re going to lose, same for Dallas. So it\u2019s that commitment to execution and locking in on what we\u2019re trying to do as a group versus what you\u2019re trying to do against whoever just shot one in your eye down at the other end. That can be hard because these guys are elite competitors. They all know each other so well and all the things so it\u2019s a good question and it\u2019s a variable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sparks led 28-24 at the end of the first quarter after shooting 12 for 18 from the field.<\/p>\n

Dallas guard Odyssey Sims, a former Spark, suffered an excruciating left ankle injury early in the second quarter and did not return.<\/p>\n

After a back-and-forth first half, Bueckers nearly drained a buzzer-beater but released the ball 0.1 seconds too late. The Sparks led 55-54 at halftime. Plum had 13 points. The Sparks\u2019 bench scored 12 points in the first half, led by five points apiece from Brink and Kate Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best teams all have stars, but the ones that go far have a great bench,\u201d Roberts said before the game.<\/p>\n

First-year Dallas coach Jose Fernandez preached execution before the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking sure that great shots are taken,\u201d Fernandez said, \u201cbecause bad ones lead to bad transition defense and making sure we\u2019re taking the right ones from the right people taking them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

UP NEXT<\/h4>\n

The Sparks host Portland (6-6) on Sunday at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

\n

Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum\u2019s pregame interview before returning from from a sprained ankle injury. Plum says she\u2019s feeling good and is looking forward to competing against Dallas Wings and guards like Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Arike Ogunbowale. #WNBA #LASparks pic.twitter.com\/r9cNo9OJH3<\/p>\n

\u2014 John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 6, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts pregame media availability before the Dallas Wings vs. Los Angeles Sparks game on Friday, June 5, 2026.<\/p>\n

Roberts talked about her team\u2019s offensive and defensive approach, guard Jess Shepard and not falling into the trap of one-on-one\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hXlwSrYtfI<\/p>\n

Read more NBA Finals: Knicks survive Spurs\u2019 late surge for 2-0 series lead<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 6, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sparks play with their full active roster for just the second time in 10 games but get outscored 27-18 in the fourth quarter of a 104-96 home loss, their third straight defeat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nKelsey Plum returns, but Sparks fall apart late in loss to Wings - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=12841\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kelsey Plum returns, but Sparks fall apart late in loss to Wings - 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