LAS VEGAS — The LA Sparks trailed entering the fourth quarter and needed someone to take over. Kelsey Plum obliged. She finished with 38 points and nine assists, scored the Sparks’ first five points of the final period to flip the lead, and sealed it at the free throw line with 19 seconds left as LA rallied past the Las Vegas Aces 101-95 on the road.
It was the kind of performance that reframes a season. The Sparks went into the fourth down 73-72, gave up two quick baskets to fall behind 73-80, then watched Plum take complete control. By the time she buried a step-back three to push it to 94-90 with two minutes left, the Aces’ comeback hopes were gone.
Plum in the Fourth Was Untouchable
She had 29 points through three quarters, which was already a standout night. Then she scored nine more in the fourth on a mix of driving layups, a pull-up three, and two free throws with 19 seconds left that officially ended it. Every time Las Vegas cut the lead, Plum had an answer. Her step-back three at the shot clock buzzer to make it 90-85 was the backbreaker, a shot that announced the game was over even before the Aces knew it.
The nine assists were just as critical as the scoring. Wheeler connected for a go-ahead three off a Plum feed at 1:15, Atkins cut baseline for a layup off another Plum look at 2:54, and Hamby and Brink each benefited from her vision all night. When the Aces tried to load up on Plum defensively, she made them pay by finding the open player. Las Vegas had no clean answer for any of it.
A Fourth Quarter Built on Stops and Shots
The Sparks opened the fourth in a hole. Plum drew a foul immediately, converted the and-one to make it 74-73, and then Wheeler hit a wide-open three to push it to 80-73 before Las Vegas could adjust. The Aces called timeout, steadied, and began chipping away. Smith and Carter combined to pull them within two at 82-80 with five and a half minutes left, but LA responded each time.
Burrell knocked down a three to push it back to four, Plum kept scoring, and Wheeler hit the dagger three with 1:15 left to make it 97-94. Two Hamby free throws at the 30-second mark finished the job. LA outscored Las Vegas 29-22 in the fourth by forcing turnovers, attacking the paint, and hitting shots when it counted.
Hamby and Wheeler Gave the Sparks Two More Weapons
Dearica Hamby finished with 16 points and four assists and was the connective tissue that kept the offense moving in the second half. She hit a three in the third quarter that gave the Sparks a brief lead and converted clutch free throws in the final minute. Her cutting layups off Plum feeds were automatic all night, and she was the player Plum trusted most when the Aces tried to double.
Erica Wheeler added 10 points but her seven rebounds and six assists tell the fuller story. She ran the offense when Plum was being crowded, hit a three that gave LA the cushion it needed in the fourth, and was a steady, unflustered presence on a night when the Sparks needed someone to make the right play with the game on the line.
Brink Gave and Took Away
Cameron Brink had 16 points, a block, and stretches where she was unguardable in the paint. She also committed six turnovers and fouled out in the fourth quarter, which cost the Sparks their best interior presence at the worst possible time. When Brink is locked in she is one of the most impactful bigs in the league. Saturday she gave LA both versions, and the Sparks were fortunate to have Plum to compensate for the costly stretches.
The Aces Made This Hard
Las Vegas fought all night. A’ja Wilson was outstanding in a losing effort, finishing with 24 points, four blocks, and two steals. She was the one Aces player the Sparks could never fully neutralize, scoring in every quarter and protecting the paint in a way that made LA’s interior game uncomfortable for long stretches. Her three with under four minutes left cut it to 90-88 and gave the building a real moment before Plum ended it.
Chennedy Carter added 23 points and was sharp throughout, including a pull-up three in the first quarter that briefly gave Las Vegas the lead and a floating jumper in the fourth that made it 94-92 with two minutes left. NaLyssa Smith came up with 22 points and six offensive rebounds off the bench, keeping the Aces’ second unit competitive through the first three quarters. Chelsea Gray ran the offense with 12 points and seven assists. This was a 95-point effort from the Aces and it still was not enough.
How It Got There
The game opened chaotically. Both teams traded buckets in the first quarter, neither could hold a lead for more than a possession, and Brink’s tip-in at the buzzer gave the Sparks a 32-30 edge after one. Las Vegas flipped it in the second, outscoring LA to take a 52-46 halftime lead. The Sparks fought back through the third but went into the fourth still trailing by one. Then Plum took it from there.
Key Performances
LA Sparks (W): Kelsey Plum 38 PTS, 9 AST | Dearica Hamby 16 PTS, 4 AST | Cameron Brink 16 PTS | Ariel Atkins 11 PTS | Rae Burrell 10 PTS | Erica Wheeler 10 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST
Las Vegas Aces (L): A’ja Wilson 24 PTS, 4 BLK | Chennedy Carter 23 PTS | NaLyssa Smith 22 PTS | Chelsea Gray 12 PTS, 7 AST | Jewell Loyd 10 PTS
