Kelsey Plum scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter, forced overtime with a layup with 1.6 seconds left, and finished with a career-high 43. Most players would spend the postgame soaking in the spotlight. Plum spent it redirecting it toward her teammates.
That contrast — between the individual explosion and the team-first response — might be the most telling thing about what’s happening in Los Angeles right now. The Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury 111-102 in overtime on Saturday, their third straight win and second on the road. And while Plum’s stat line jumps off the page — 14-of-26 shooting, 5-of-11 from three, 10-of-12 from the line — the way she talks about it tells you why the team is trending up.
“Tonight was awesome because we won,” Plum said in her postgame press conference. “I think for me that’s really my focus in the league … Trying to impact winning. The scoring is great but I think for me, I’m proud of the fact that we got a win.”
Plum credited head coach Lynne Roberts for giving her the freedom to operate without rigid sets, and her backcourt mates for making plays down the stretch. That last part is key: as dominant as Plum was, she only scored two points in overtime — both free throws. The rest came from Cameron Brink, Erica Wheeler, and Nneka Ogwumike, who each stepped up in the extra period.
Brink converted a four-point play after getting fouled on a corner three, then buried two critical free throws following offensive rebounds. Wheeler knocked down a three off an Ariel Atkins pass to push the lead to 109-100 with just over two minutes left. Ogwumike opened overtime with a pull-up midrange jumper, setting the tone early.
But none of that happens without Plum dragging the game into overtime. Down three with under a minute left in regulation, the Mercury inexplicably left her open. She calmly drained a three from an Atkins feed to tie it. A few possessions later, down three again, she hit a step-back three to knot it at 96. And then, with 1.6 seconds on the clock, she took a pass from Ogwumike and finished a layup at the buzzer to force OT.
“She just has a way,” Roberts said. “She doesn’t get talked about enough in terms of what she’s doing this season and also her efficiency. But seven assists — I think that’s what separates her. It’s an unselfish 43.”
Plum finished with two rebounds and seven assists to go with the scoring, and she shot 53.8 percent from the field. Roberts, who has repeatedly called Plum the best one-on-one player in the WNBA this season, echoed the guard’s own sentiment: the numbers matter, but the willingness to share the game matters more.
“I thought my teammates made great plays down the stretch and put me in a position to make plays,” Plum said. “I appreciate Coach for giving me the freedom to really go out there and just play. There’s not a ton of sets called. It’s just me trying to play the game the right way.”
The Sparks have now won three straight and are starting to look like a team that could make noise in the second half of the season. If Plum keeps playing like this — and keeps making sure everyone else eats — that ceiling might be higher than most expected.
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