Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum lift Sparks to win

Less than 10 days in the past, the Seattle Storm and the Sparks battled deep into a second additional time — the first of the 2025 WNBA season — wringing every drop of drama out of Climate Pledge Arena. On Sunday night time, the same stakes have been at play as the groups tried to strengthen their playoff possibilities.

The depth didn’t let up until the ultimate horn. With 5.6 seconds left, Dearica Hamby roared into the paint and scored on a driving layup to put the Sparks forward for good. After the Storm missed their closing probability to win, pandemonium spilled onto the ground — Sparks gamers leaping into one another’s arms, followers hollering over the hardwood, chanting “Hamby” in celebration of the Sparks’ 94-91 victory.

“We’re playing for that kind of game,” said guard Julie Allemand, who had eight assists, “it’s exciting to play that kind of game. At the end, when you make the great shot that we need, it’s a great feeling.”

The Sparks managed to rally after falling into a 16-point deficit in the first quarter, maybe a symptom of enjoying on back-to-back nights.

Then got here Kelsey Plum — who completed with 20 factors, seven assists and six rebounds — bending her sport in every direction to haul the Sparks to their ninth win in 11 video games.

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts has painted Plum as a shape-shifter — in a position to twist her sport into whatever the sport calls for.

“That’s what your best players should do — get everybody else involved and make sure we’re flowing,” Roberts said before the sport, “and then when they need you, you step up. She’s done a tremendous job.”

Trailing the Storm (16-16) by 17 in the first quarter, Plum, who still hadn’t scored yet, tore into a one-on-five fast break, freezing the protection with a hesitation at the arc and a glide into the basket for a three-point play. Seconds later, Plum created another alternative off an prolonged proper elbow, drilling a three-pointer in Erica Wheeler’s face.

“I’ve always been known as a scorer and I learned that over time, your impact on the game a lot of time is because you can score, you’re going to draw attention and find people,” Plum said. “On the run we’ve been on, we’re better when I’m kind of doing both.”

It was the spurt of momentum the Sparks (15-16) needed to overcome a sputtering start.

Playing all the first half, Plum went from the table-setter to shot-maker in the second quarter — springing Rae Burrell for a nook three before splashing a triple to tie the rating 29-29 with 6:30 left in the second quarter.

“Leadership is hard, figuring out when to push, when to pull, when to give it up, when to take it over,” Roberts said. “[Plum] just continues to get better and better at it. … She’s so competitive and wants to win.”

Azurá Stevens and Cameron Brink have been strong in the key early, but the Sparks clanked jumpers, dribbled into visitors and watched offensive possessions die on the rim in addition to committing eight first-quarter turnovers. So Roberts rolled the cube on a smaller look — swapping her paint patrol of Stevens and Brink for guards Julie Vanloo and Burrell.

“When they go really big, we kind of went a little smaller with Rickea [Jackson]at the four,” Roberts said. “It was a battle of wills — it seems like every time, like the last time we played them, back and forth.”

Plum and Allemand stored the smaller unit in fixed movement, whipping passes from wing to wing and slicing open lanes for Burrell and Jackson, while Vanloo, Allemand and Plum cashed in from past the arc. Roberts rode that group into the second quarter, and they finally whittled the deficit.

Hamby completed with 19 factors and seven rebounds, Stevens had 15 factors and eight rebounds and Brink contributed 14 factors, 5 rebounds and two steals off the bench.

When the ultimate buzzer light, gamers have been still grinning through hugs, and the group’s “Hamby” chants continued — pleasure for a Sparks group that had yanked itself out of the fire.

“Really proud of that bounce-back,” Plum said. “We could have folded — especially early. But there’s something to this team. We’re young, we’re competitive, we’re hungry.”