By: Jennifer Portee
5/22/2026
Dearica Hamby led the way for the sparks by controlling the glass, and finishing through contact.
Hamby finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, leading Los Angeles to a 97-88 road win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night.
Los Angeles had 35 points in the 2nd quarter. Nearly everything fell: clean looks from deep, finishes inside, and shot perfectly from the free-throw line. By halftime, the Sparks had built a 60-43 lead the highest first-half scoring mark in franchise history and took control of the game.
Kelsey Plum helped offensively with 16 points and seven assists, while Nneka Ogwumike added 12 points, continuing her climb up the league’s all-time scoring ranks. Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell provided valuable minutes off the bench with 12 apiece, and Ariel Atkins chipped in 11 as Los Angeles leaned on a full rotation to keep Phoenix from gaining momentum.
The Mercury had their moments, but never quite enough to come back.
Alyssa Thomas led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Kahleah Copper added 22. Jovana Nogic and Natasha Mack contributed in double figures, but Phoenix struggled to catch up after the halftime deficit blew up. The closest they got in the second half was nine points.
Even as the Sparks cooled off late missing all eight of their three-point attempts in the fourth they had already done enough damage. Their earlier perimeter shooting run, combined with Hamby’s interior presence, created a lead that held through the final buzzer.
For Los Angeles, the win marks a great response after a rocky start to the season and their first victory away from home. For Phoenix, it’s another missed opportunity.
On a night where both franchises honored their shared history as original WNBA teams, it was the Sparks who looked most prepared.