Kelsey Plum returns, but Sparks fall to Minnesota for their third straight loss

MINNEAPOLIS — Kayla McBride scored 15 of her season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter, Courtney Williams added 18 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Sparks 82-66 on Saturday night for their third straight win.

Napheesa Collier did not play for the Lynx (12-1). The 2024 WNBA defensive player of the year, Collier left early in the third quarter of Minnesota’s 76-62 win over Las Vegas on Tuesday and did not return.

McBride made nine of 13 from the field, five of seven from three-point range, and Williams finished with six assists and four steals. Maria Kliundikova had 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks for Minnesota.

Sparks

With Kelsey Plum out, Sparks can’t keep up with Storm in blowout loss

Nneka Ogwumike scores 26 points against her former team as the Sparks struggle to score in the second half of a 98-67 blowout loss to the Seattle Storm.

June 17, 2025

Sarah Ashlee Barker hit a three-pointer that gave the Sparks a 59-58 lead with 7:43 remaining in the game. Kliundikova answered with a layup 24 seconds later, McBride added a three-pointer and a three-point play and Williams made a pull-up jumper with 4:48 left that gave Minnesota a nine-point lead. Dearica Hamby made a layup to cut the deficit to seven before Alanna Smith and McBride hit threes 31 seconds apart about a minute later.

Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 15 points in the first half, including a layup with 0.2 second left in the second quarter that gave the Sparks a 35-34 lead at halftime. Plum returned to the starting lineup after not playing in a loss to Seattle on Tuesday because of a leg injury. Hamby finished with 13 points and four steals and Azurá Stevens had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Sparks (4-10) have lost 16 of their last 18 against the Lynx, who beat the Sparks 89-75 in Los Angeles on May 18 and 101-78 at home last Saturday.

Up next: The Sparks play at Chicago on Tuesday.

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