Kelsey Plum reaches career milestone and leads Sparks to victory over Dallas
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Kelsey Plum scored 28 points, Dearica Hamby had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Sparks held on to beat the Dallas Wings 97-96 on Friday night after Paige Bueckers missed a potential winning three-pointer.
Plum gave the Sparks a 95-82 lead with 4:25 remaining in the fourth quarter before Dallas closed on a 14-2 run.
Plum made the Sparks’ next basket at the 1:03 mark for a 97-91 lead. Bueckers answered with a quick layup to pull within four and the Sparks turned it over at the other end.
Sparks star Kelsey Plum said she was joking when she took a verbal shot at Caitlin Clark and her team at the All-Star Game last month.
JJ Quinerly sank a three-pointer from the corner with 15 seconds left for a one-point deficit. Plum missed two free throws and Dallas took over possession after a jump ball.
Bueckers raced up the floor for a contested three-pointer that rolled off the rim as time expired.
Azurá Stevens and Rickea Jackson each added 15 points for the Sparks (16-17). Julie Allemand had 12 points, 10 assists and four steals. Plum reached 4,000 career points in the first half. Hamby had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the sixth time this season.
Bueckers finished with 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting for Dallas (9-25). The No. 1 pick in the draft became the fastest player in franchise history to score 500 points. Maddy Siegrist added 15 points, Quinerly had 11 points and nine assists, and Aziaha James scored 10 points.
The Sparks led 53-50 at halftime behind double-digit scoring by Hamby, Jackson and Plum.
