Kelsey Plum Scores 43 as Sparks Outlast Mercury in OT
kelsey plum scored a career-high 43 points and tied the game at 98-98 with 1.6 seconds left in regulation, then watched the Sparks finish the job in overtime. Plum and Kahleah Copper each delivered 40-point nights in the first opposing 40-point duel in WNBA history, and Los Angeles turned that shot-making burst into a third straight win.
Plum Forces Overtime
Plum’s contested layup in the final seconds erased the gap and sent the game beyond regulation. It also pushed her past her previous career high, with the guard carrying the Sparks through a scoring duel that had no precedent in league history.
The late basket mattered because it kept Los Angeles alive after Copper had matched her possession for possession. When two players reach 40 in the same game, one big shot is often the difference between a record and a loss, and Plum made the one the Sparks needed most.
Sparks Open 8-0
Los Angeles took control right away in overtime with an 8-0 run. Nneka Ogwumike started the extra period with a mid-range jumper, Plum added two free throws, and Cameron Brink finished the stretch with a four-play sequence that sealed the win.
The Sparks improved to 3-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play with the victory. They also moved to three straight wins, a run that gives Plum’s scoring outburst immediate weight beyond the box score.
Mercury Slide Continues
The Mercury dropped to 4-11 and have lost nine of their last 11 games. Copper’s 40-point answer kept the game close long enough to force a dramatic finish, but the overtime burst left Phoenix with another loss and no way to erase the late swing.
For the Sparks, the night will be remembered for Plum’s 43 and the first opposing 40-point duel in WNBA history. For the Mercury, it became another setback in a stretch that has left little room for recovery.
Aces Hold Off Minnesota
Later Saturday night, the Las Vegas Aces beat Minnesota to take the Western Conference lead in Commissioner’s Cup play and improve to 10-3. A’ja Wilson had 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray added 23 points and seven assists.
That game turned late too. Olivia Miles scored a career-high 29 points for Minnesota, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and gave the Lynx a 94-93 lead with 48 seconds left on a three-point play before putting them ahead 97-96 with a 3-pointer with 24.5 seconds remaining. Las Vegas answered to win its sixth consecutive game, but Plum’s overtime eruption was the night’s defining score line.
