Kelsey Plum made an unforgettable first impression in her Los Angeles Sparks debut, torching the Golden State Valkyries for 37 points and leading her team to an 84-67 victory Friday night in San Francisco. While the night marked a historic first game for the WNBA‘s newest expansion team, it was Plum who stole the spotlight with a commanding offensive performance.
Plum, who joined the Sparks in the offseason, shot 11-of-19 from the field, including four makes from beyond the arc, and went a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. She added six assists and five steals in her all-around showcase, falling just three points short of her career-high. Her heroics helped the Sparks begin their new era under head coach Lynne Roberts with an emphatic win.
“Yeah, I’m happy. Is this a dream come true? Can’t stop smiling,” Plum said postgame, echoing the excitement of a franchise hungry for a turnaround after finishing last season with a franchise-worst 8-32 record.
Sparks surge behind Plum as Valkyries show flashes in debut
Dearica Hamby chipped in a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie Rickea Jackson added 13 points and Azura Stevens contributed 11 for the Sparks, who showed early signs of shedding last year’s struggles.
For Golden State, Tiffany Hayes led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Temi Fagbenle added 15 points. Julie Vanloo provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, including a rapid-fire scoring run in the third quarter that briefly brought the crowd to life.
The Sparks held a narrow 42-39 edge at halftime before Kelsey Plum took over the game in the third quarter, erupting for 17 points. She fueled a pivotal 15-3 run with 12 of those points, stretching Los Angeles’ lead to 62-47 with just over three minutes remaining in the period.
But the Valkyries weren’t ready to fold. Vanloo caught fire, drilling three three-pointers in just 44 seconds to cut the deficit to six, 66-60, heading into the fourth quarter.
From there, the Sparks clamped down. Odyssey Sims sparked a defensive stand with a steal and layup, followed by five consecutive free throws from Sims and Plum to stretch the lead back to double digits. A mid-range jumper from Plum with 2:12 remaining pushed the advantage to 80-65, and she capped her electric performance with a layup in the final minute.
Plum scored 11 in the first half and saved her best for the second, demonstrating why the Sparks made her their marquee offseason addition.
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