Sparks defeat Sun to win 8 of their last 9 games

LOS ANGELES -- The Sparks have become an offensive juggernaut.

They went over a hundred points for the fifth time in six games (which has never happened in the WNBA until now). And they bore down defensively in the second half as they defeated the Connecticut Sun, 102-91. The Sparks have now won eight of their last nine games to boost their record to 14-15.

The Sun led by as many as 13 points in the first half. And then the Sparks made an improbable 16-3 run with Kelsey Plum on the bench to get back into the contest. The Sparks then held the Sun to 35 percent shooting in the second half and gradually took over the game in the fourth quarter. 

All the while, Julie Allemand was quietly getting a triple-double.

"I want to help this team as much as I can," Allemand said. "At the beginning of the game, Rickea (Jackson) was going off, and then I was being aggressive. And then second half, it was (Kelsey Plum). KP didn't have a great offensive first half. It's (someone else every time). And I'm trying, as a point guard, to see what I need to do to help this team. If it's scoring, if it's rebounding, playing defense, offense, like, depending on how I feel my teammates on the court."

"It was impossible in the second half to take her out of the game," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. "I know she's tired, but she was just unbelievable. And, you know, 11 assists and one turnover and the rebounding, just all of it."

Even though she was in limited minutes, Cameron Brink once again changed the game with her presence.

"Again, you know, she just brings a different level, just a different look defensively," Coach Roberts said. "And everybody knows she's in there. That gets in your head as an offensive player. Even if you score, you're aware that she was there and you got lucky. But she altered a couple shots, too."

Roberts then talked about Brink's offense.

"It was really fun to see her offensively get going," Roberts said. "I know she's been waiting for the shots to fall. I know she was frustrated the first time she shot it in the second half. I don't remember if it was blocked or what, but she missed it and she was frustrated. But the mental toughness to come back and shoot the open three and hit the roll. That pass from Julie was beautiful and the and-one. That just shows mental toughness. She's only in her second year and hasn't played a whole lot. So I've been impressed with her. And what a luxury for us to bring her into games."

The Sparks offense continues to hit on all cylinders. 

"I would say since the beginning of the season, I've been just optimistic about what this team can look like and why I want to be here and why I'm going to continue to be here," Sparks forward Dearica Hamby said. "And I've compared this team to the 22 Aces team, just having so much firepower and just being one of the fastest teams we've seen. We've scored 100 points in the last five out of six games. We're not done yet. We've got a lot more to accomplish, obviously, but I think Sparks basketball is back."

In nearly the last month or so, it certainly has looked like Sparks basketball is back. But the team is still under .500 even after the 8-1 rush. And it's only going to get tougher from here on out.

Hamby led the team in scoring with 21 points. Jackson got off to a fast start on her way to 20 points. Plum had a huge second half and scored 18 overall. Allemand became the 22nd player in WNBA history to have a triple-double with 10-10-11 and Brink came off the bench to score 11 points. 

On the other side, Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles each had 19 points while Bria Hartley scored 16.

The Sparks have a back-to-back coming up this weekend. Saturday will be a huge game as they take on the Golden State Valkyries up in Northern California. Both teams are 14-15 and the winner will be in the 8th and final playoff spot after the game.