Dearica Hamby drops 27 points as Sparks rally past Storm to stay alive in WNBA playoff race

Dearica Hamby powered a late surge as the Los Angeles Sparks rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun the Seattle Storm 91-85 on Monday night, tightening the WNBA playoff race. Hamby scored 11 of her game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter and also grabbed 11 rebounds, while Rickea Jackson added 23 points. Kelsey Plum chipped in 14 points and seven assists, and Rae Burrell contributed 11 points as the Sparks shot 52.2 percent overall despite struggling from beyond the arc (4 of 18).


With the win, the Sparks (19-20) moved within 1 1/2 games of the Indiana Fever (21-19) and Seattle (22-20), who are tied for the last two playoff spots, keeping their postseason hopes alive.



The Storm, led by Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins with 21 points each, appeared in control, hitting 10 of 17 threes in the first half to build a 14-point lead. Diggins opened the second half with another long-range strike to push Seattle ahead 56-39. Los Angeles responded with an 11-0 run, fueled by Jackson, but the Storm rebuilt a double-digit lead late in the third.


Momentum shifted when Jackson banked in a running 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to cut Seattle’s lead to 73-68. In the final frame, the Sparks outscored the Storm 23-12, shooting 57.1 percent while holding their opponents to 23.8 percent and 0 of 7 from deep. Trailing 85-80 with under three minutes left, Hamby ignited an 11-0 closing run with a bank hook shot. Los Angeles never looked back, sealing a vital victory.