Odyssey Sims’ Late Heroics Lift Fever Past Sparks 76-75

Odyssey Sims, Jullie Allemand, and Kelsey Plum prepare for a jump ball at Crypto.com arena. Photo by Jackie Rae

The Los Angeles Sparks entered Friday night’s matchup looking to complete a season sweep against the Indiana Fever. Instead, former Sparks player Odyssey Sims spoiled the party.

Ahead of the matchup, Indiana head coach Stephanie White made it clear that slowing down Julie Allemand would be key to their defensive game plan.

“The most important thing for us is we can’t over-help,” White said. “She gets other players shots because of the way that she attacks, the way that she moves the ball. She gets some high-percentage looks because she delivers passes on time. So we’ve got to make sure that we stay really disciplined, not over-help. We have to force her to be a scorer.”

Los Angeles opened the game on a 7-0 run before Sims put the Fever on the board with an easy bucket, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

By the end of the first quarter, Ariel Powers buried a triple to cut the Sparks’ lead to four. Despite playing shorthanded without Caitlin Clark (groin injury) and key contributors Aari McDonald, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson, the Fever hung tight.

Back-and-forth buckets from Powers, Dearica Hamby, and Cameron Brink kept the game tied at 60 midway through the fourth quarter. Late in the quarter, tension grew when Sims hit a three-pointer with 43.1 seconds left to tie the game at 74, forcing a Sparks timeout.

Coming out of the break, Azurá Stevens was fouled and split a pair at the line to put Los Angeles up one. But Sims — calm, confident, and in rhythm — once again delivered, converting a driving layup with 20 seconds left that sealed the Fever’s 76-75 victory.

The win marked Indiana’s first against Los Angeles this season after dropping the previous three matchups. For Sims, who only recently joined the Fever, it was a breakout moment.

“I haven’t been with the team long, but each practice, each game, I’m getting better,” Sims said. “We have two other new players along with myself, so it’s just continuing to gel. I like the flow right now. We showed that we are resilient. But we’re constantly showing these last two games our togetherness.”

She credited the entire organization for the team’s growing chemistry. “I’m with a good group,” Sims added. “From the coaching staff to the ownership to my teammates — everybody is so genuine. Everybody pours into each other more than I’ve ever seen on any other team I’ve been on.”

The Sparks, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly with the playoff race tightening. For now, this night belonged to Sims — the former Spark who reminded her old team what she can still do.