Sparks Stay Aggressive, Beat Fever 100-91 to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

LA Sparks Jullie Allemand, Rickea Jackson Kelsey Plum and Indiana Fever's Aari McDonald face off at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. Photo by Jackie Rae

Ahead of the Los Angeles Sparks' crucial matchup against the Indiana Fever at Crypto.com Arena, coach Lynne Roberts emphasized that aggression would determine the winner. "At this point of the season, every game matters," she said.

The Sparks proved they received the message loud and clear. Cameron Brink anchored the defense with four first-half blocks and finished with five total, helping establish early momentum for Los Angeles.

The offensive attack was balanced and relentless. Rickea Jackson and Rae Burrell bullied their way to the basket while Dearica Hamby paced the scoring with 14 first-half points.

Despite a brief interruption caused by a fan throwing yet another sexually explicit toy onto the court, everything was clicking for the Sparks in the opening half. In front of a sold-out crowd, Los Angeles took a commanding 54-43 lead into halftime.

Head coch Lynne Roberts and Kelsey Plum address adult toy incident. Video by Jackie Rae

Kelsey Plum's leadership was evident coming out of the break as the team kept its foot on the gas. She finished the night with 11 assists, creating scoring opportunities for the entire team.

"Credit to my teammates," she said. "Dearica did an incredible job. Made herself available. Rolling. Kea (Rickea) kept posting up. Azurá. When they move, it makes my job super easy."

That balanced effort frustrated Indiana in the second half. Despite committing only four turnovers, the Fever could not close the gap. Kelsey Mitchell paced Indiana with 34 points and briefly gave the team hope, cutting the deficit to five points with two minutes remaining.

A clutch three-pointer by Azurá Stevens, who finished with 19 points, pushed the Sparks' lead back to nine with just over a minute left. The Fever struggled to manage the clock effectively in the final seconds, wasting their remaining chances at a comeback.

Jackson and Plum led the way for the Sparks with 25 points each in the 100-91 victory, giving Los Angeles a crucial home win in their playoff push.

Kelsey Plum and Natasha Howard photo by Jackie Rae

The Sparks didn't just win with talent—they won by playing aggressively and staying connected as a unit. Jackson attributes that cohesion to the team's genuine chemistry.

"We're very close even off the court," she said. "Most teams probably want to get away from each other during off days. We somehow are still by each other."

The victory moves the Sparks to 13-15, placing them in ninth place and just one game behind the eighth and final playoff spot. They'll look to continue their push when they travel to face the last-place Connecticut Sun on Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena.