Kelsey Plum Leads Sparks in Instant Classic Overtime Loss to Valkyries
Los Angeles entered Monday with a chance to take a convincing lead in its 1-1 season series split with Golden State — the Sparks won the May 16 season-opener matchup; the Valkyries bounced back on May 23.
Despite yet another career night from star guard Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles wasn't able to hold on late. A balanced 40 minutes of play unraveled in the five-minute overtime period to follow. The Sparks fell, 89-81, on the Crypto.com Arena hardwood on Monday night — their fourth loss in the last five contests.
Read more: Sparks' Kelsey Plum Shocked After Wild Exchange With Paige Bueckers
The Sparks fell into an early deficit to begin the first quarter, seemingly with no answer defensively for a dominant Valkyries' frontcourt led by 6-foot-4 center Temi Fagbenle.
Took it to OT but couldn't get it done. pic.twitter.com/fHIrVmG88I
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) June 10, 2025
She finished with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds — eight of which came on the offensive glass.
The road squad maintained pace into the following quarter, sporting a narrow two-point lead entering the second frame.
Then, Kelsey Plum caught fire.
Red-hot offense from star guard fueled a dominant comeback and an eventual 44-40 Los Angeles lead over Golden State at the break.
Plum went 3-for-4 on three-point attempts and logged a team-high four assists — just three shy of 1,000 career assists — through the first two frames alone. She finished with 24 points and seven assists, matching the four-digit mark exactly.
Read more: Sparks' Cameron Brink Challenges Controversial WNBA Rule
Plum joins Dearica Hamby as the highest-scoring teammate duo in the WNBA thus far this season. The pair scored 29 of the Sparks' 44 first-half points on Monday on an efficient 9-for-15 from the field — a 60 percent shooting clip.
Hamby finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists — yet another complete game for the 6-foot-3 forward.
Sarah Ashlee Barker with another timely basket to close the third quarter — followed by an and-one layup by Dearica Hamby.
— Ben Geffner (@BenGeffner) June 10, 2025
Sparks and Valkyries tied at 65 apiece after 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/w1HUJPLdZ3
The back-and-forth play continued during the majority of the second half. Timely layups courtesy of Hamby and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker maintained a one-posession Sparks' lead late in the third quarter.
Golden State matched it, evening the score at 65 apiece after 30 minutes of play.
Kelsey Plum drained a clutch triple late in the fourth quarter to help force overtime, but later fouled out in the disappointing five-minute extra period to follow.
Golden State’s Kayla Thornton with a clutch 25-foot overtime jumper to cement a final Valkyries’ lead.
— Ben Geffner (@BenGeffner) June 10, 2025
Kelsey Plum fouls out and the Sparks fall, 89-81, in overtime in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/V4288B19my
A Kayla Thornton 25-foot jumper proved fatal minutes later, extending Golden State's overtime lead to eventually seal the Sparks' fourth loss in their last five games.
Los Angeles falls to 3-7 in 2025, with its next opportunity to get back in the win column coming against the Aces in Las Vegas this Wednesday.
More Sparks news:
A'ja Wilson Speaks Out on Losing Kelsey Plum to Sparks
Sparks' Kelsey Plum Reacts to Georgia Amoore's ACL Injury
International Legend Reveals Reason For Rejoining LA
Sparks Waive Two Players Ahead of 2025 Season
Sparks’ Cameron Brink Revisits Feeling After Tearing ACL
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Sparks, visit Los Angeles Sparks on SI.
Ben Geffner is an award-winning sports journalist and current student at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. A greater Los Angeles native now with countless years of extensive and dedicated experience — including beat reporting, writing, play-by-play broadcast, television anchoring, podcasting and video production — Ben remains eager to contribute as credentialed media covering the LA Sparks.
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