Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 44 points amid heavy home support, with fans wearing her image and seeking autographs before the game. The Sparks adjusted defensively but struggled to contain Bueckers, whose mid-range shooting and passing punished single coverage and doubles. Coach Lynne Roberts noted a tendency to let Bueckers get to the middle. Kelsey Plum, frequently crowded by defenders and often denied whistles, drove through contact and banked a game-winning shot with 3.3 seconds remaining. The Sparks escaped with an 81-80 victory, and teammates celebrated Plum's decisive basket. The Sparks entered the game 17-18.
At times Tuesday night, it seemed as though the Sparks had six players on the floor. The first five donned the Sparks ' purple and gold. The sixth, though, answered to another playbook. Paige Bueckers drew ovations fit for a home star. With swaths of fans flaunting her face on a T-shirt and spilling over railings for autographs pregame, the Wings rookie rode that backing into a career-high 44 points - only for the Sparks to prevail, 81-80.
But when it mattered most - that being with 3.3 seconds on the clock and the Sparks trailing by one - Plum lowered her shoulder and slipped between arms that swiped and bodies that lunged. One defender stumbled to a misstep, another was left trailing her hip and Plum never broke stride, soaring into the paint to bank the ball through the net at the buzzer. The red light spilled across the backboard, sounding just late enough to certify her bucket and help her team escape.
Collection
[
|
...
]