The LA Sparks walked away with a hard-fought 97-89 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday in Sin City. LA held on to a 71-75 lead entering the last 12 minutes before pulling off the impressive road win. Sparks star Rickea Jackson, who had 14 first-quarter points, ended the game with 30 points and seven rebounds.
Kelsey Plum won in her first return to Las Vegas since she was traded by the Aces in the offseason. Plum had a rough-shooting night, going 2-for-7, including 0-for-4 from deep. The star point guard came through from the free-throw line (9-for-9) and added nine assists and four rebounds.
LA Sparks vs Las Vegas Aces player stats and box score
LA Sparks player stats and box score
Las Vegas Aces player stats and box score
LA Sparks vs Las Vegas Aces Game Summary
The LA Sparks got another shot at the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday. Kelsey Plum and Co. lost 96-81 in the previous encounter in late May in Los Angeles. The former Aces superstar and her teammates headed into the rematch looking for payback.
Rickea Jackson dropped 12 points in the first six minutes and finished with 14 in the first quarter. The explosive start from the sophomore forward pushed the visiting Sparks to an early 29-17 lead.
Azura Stevens led a 10-2 run in the first two minutes of the second quarter to extend LA’s lead to 39-19. Sarah Ashlee Barker’s 24-footer forced Aces coach Becky Hammon to an early timeout. Following the brief ceasefire, the home team responded with a 14-3 blast to cut the deficit to 42-33.
The Sparks snapped out of their funk behind Stevens and Hamby to take a 50-41 halftime lead.
Jackie Young, who led the Aces’ second-quarter surge, finished the opening half with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. A’ja Wilson went 0-for-7 but scored five points from the free-throw line. She contributed six rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
The Aces tried to overturn the game in the third quarter but the Sparks kept in step. Las Vegas inched to within 64-59 before a strong finish from Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum allowed LA to carry a 71-65 advantage entering the final period.
The Sparks pushed their lead to 80-72 behind Liatu King's hot start to the fourth quarter. Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray combined to lead a late rally before the visiting team held on to pull off a 97-89 win.