The last time the Sparks faced the Dallas Wings in May, they lost by a one point. The Sparks avenged that loss during another close matchup Friday, defeating the Wings 81-72 during a Commissioner’s Cup game.
Crypto.com Arena was the scene of the battle between the bottom two teams in the Western Conference, with both aiming to turn around early season misfortune. The Sparks (3-7) ended a three-game losing skid and the Wings (3-6) saw their theirs extended to four.
It was a back-and-forth contest, featuring five lead changes.
Dearica Hamby shook off a slow start in the first half, scoring only six points. She led the Sparks with 22 points and 12 rebounds on nine-for-16 shooting from the field, notching her sixth double-double of the season.
Hamby played a crucial role for the Sparks in the second half, scoring 16 points and becoming the team’s go-to scoring option.
Lexie Brown, providing a much-needed boost off the bench for the Sparks, hit a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, giving the Sparks a 68-67 lead.
The Sparks’ bench kept the team competitive in the first half, as the starters got off to a slow start. For the game, the bench contributed 30 points, with Brown scoring 16. She added six assists and three rebounds.
Rookie Cameron Brink secured her first double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. On defense, she added two blocks and two steals.
The defense minimized the impact of the Wings duo, Maddy Siegrist and Arike Ogunbowale, who had huge first-half performances. Ogunbowale finished with 22 points and Siegrist had 21, but no other Dallas player scored in double figures.
