PORTLAND — The Sparks capped a roller-coaster 18-hour stretch by ending their six-game losing streak.
Dearica Hamby scored 23 points, Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 of her 22 in the second half and the Sparks – still processing the trade that sent five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to Phoenix late Saturday night – earned a 106-101 victory over the Portland Fire on Sunday afternoon in a game that went down to the final minute.
In a move that was somewhat expected, Plum, sidelined since June 21 with a leg injury, was dealt to the Mercury late Saturday night. The Sparks improved to 3-9 without Plum. Plum, a free agent at the end of the season, had reportedly indicated she was not going to re-sign with the Sparks.
The Fire took a 96-95 lead on Megan DiLeo’s 3-pointer with 92 seconds remaining, but Portland’s advantage lasted only seven seconds, as Erica Wheeler dished one of her game-high-tying eight assists to an open Ogwumike, who answered with a 3-pointer of her own.
The rapid exchange of 3-pointers set the tone for a furious closing salvo in which the two sides combined for 19 points in the final 92 seconds. The Sparks held the lead throughout the closing stretch, building a four-point buffer when Ogwumike fed a cutting Dearica Hamby for a layup.
Portland pulled to within one point with 20.9 seconds remaining on Bridget Carleton’s seventh 3-pointer of the game. In the last 24 seconds Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler went 6 for 6 from the free-throw line to secure the win.
Wheeler, Ariel Atkins (4 for 7 from 3-point range), Rae Burrell and reserve Jihyun Park each added 12 points for the Sparks (11-17). Hamby and Ogwumike both had 10 rebounds.
Wheeler, who had a team-high eight assists, also led the Sparks’ defensive effort with three steals. They forced 14 Portland turnovers in total, turning them in 19 points. The most critical of those came when Carleton coughed up possession while down by three points with 16.8 seconds left. The Fire never got a look at a potential game-tying shot.
Carleton (7 for 13 from 3-point range) scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Fire (11-19), who lost their fifth straight and allowed 100-plus points for the fourth time in that stretch. Carla Leite added 21 points and eight assists and DiLeo scored 19.
The Fire shot 15 for 37 from behind the arc (40.5%), but the Sparks countered by shooting 16 for 29 from deep (55.2%).
Portland took advantage of four offensive rebounds and six Sparks turnovers to lead 29-22 after one quarter. The lead reached 10 points in the second quarter, and the Fire were up 49-43 at the break.
Wheeler and Ogwumike made back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Sparks a 65-64 lead in the third quarter, their first since it was 10-8. Carleton’s 3-pointer in the last minute pulled the Fire into a 72-72 tie entering the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
The Sparks continue their three-game trip at Chicago on Wednesday at 6 p.m. PT.