Los Angeles Sparks On SI

Sparks' Guard Scores Season-High in Loss to Mercury

Los Angeles' backcourt excelled early but couldn't close late in its Sunday afternoon loss to Phoenix.
Ben Geffner|
May 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks guard Sarah Ashlee Barker (13), guard Odyssey Sims (0), guard Kelsey Plum (10), forward Azura Stevens (23) and forward Dearica Hamby (5) react in the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
May 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks guard Sarah Ashlee Barker (13), guard Odyssey Sims (0), guard Kelsey Plum (10), forward Azura Stevens (23) and forward Dearica Hamby (5) react in the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Sparks' backcourt — most notably, Odyssey Sims — converted an offensive masterclass throughout the first half of Sunday afternoon's matchup against the Phoenix Mercury.

But the early success didn't last. Second half dominance from the Mercury (5-2) handed Los Angeles (2-6) its sixth loss of 2025 — a 85-80 home defeat at Crypto.com Arena.

Sims entered Sunday ranked seventh in the league in assist to turnover ratio (3.12).

Read more: Sparks' Rickea Jackson Reveals Close Relationship With WNBA Player

Los Angeles' unique three-guard starting core of Sims, Kelsey Plum and Julie Allemand helped the 5-foot-8 guard maintain the statistic. The trio combined for 11 first-half assists, four of which came from Sims.

Allemand, making her first career start for the purple and gold, finished with six assists and five rebounds in 35 minutes.

Read more: Sparks' Cameron Brink Challenges Controversial WNBA Rule

Allemand returned to the United States after being traded to Los Angeles from Chicago, along with Li Yueru and a 2025 third-round draft pick.

After missing the Sparks' first two games of 2025 due to injury, she's impressed as a key facilitator in limited time through LA's last six contests, Sunday included.

Read more: Sparks Debut Groundbreaking New Courtside Lounge in 2025

Sims propelled Los Angeles to a early 27-17 lead after the first quarter, fueled by a myriad of scoring success.

The Sparks’ guard poured in 14 points on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc in just the first frame alone.

Sims' effort matched teammate Azura Stevens' 14-point first period total against Minnesota on May 18 — both of which sit atop the record books as the most points by a player in a WNBA first quarter thus far this season.

Sims capped the first half with 17 points on an efficient 6-for-10 shooting clip in just 18 minutes. The first-half scoring total marked a season-high, surpassing her 15-point barrage in 36 minutes against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night.

Read more: Sparks' Kelsey Plum Climbs WNBA Record Books in Loss to Dream

The 5-foot-8 guard, now in her 12th WNBA season, finished with 32 points, five rebounds and four assists on 10-for-14 shooting in Sunday's defeat.

It marked her first 30-plus point game since 2019 and tied Renee Montgomery for 27th all-time in WNBA assists, per a team release.

Plum and Dearica Hamby complimented Sims' performance with 15 points apiece, respectively.

Phoenix led a dominant start to the second half, taking a timely two-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Mercury outscored the Sparks, 24-9, in the third quarter alone.

A 23-point, nine-rebound and four-steal barrage from Phoenix's Satou Sabally proved too much to overcome late, marking a third straight Los Angeles loss.

The Sparks fall to 2-6 in 2025, with another chance to get back in the win column next Friday versus the Dallas Wings.

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.

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Ben Geffner
BEN GEFFNER

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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