LOS ANGELES — The Sparks put their pride on the line but were overwhelmed by the red hot Las Vegas Aces, who set a new WNBA regular-season record by making 22 3-point shots to blow out the hosts, 103-75, in the Sparks’ season finale on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The Aces (30-14) outscored the Sparks 66-12 from 3-point range, shooting 22 for 45 from long range to secure the No. 2 seed for the WNBA playoffs with their 16th consecutive win. The Sparks, who shot 4 for 26 from behind the arc, finished 21-23 and missed the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.
The Sparks put together a late-season run, but they were eliminated from playoff consideration on Tuesday night despite an 88-83 road win in Phoenix. Their hopes were dashed when the Seattle Storm earned a 74-73 victory over the Golden State Valkyries the same night to secure the final playoff spot.
The Sparks shook off a slow start to their season to go 16-10 after July 5, but they lost five of their final nine games to extend their drought.
The Sparks’ Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby each scored 15 points against their former team, and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker scored a career-high 15 points. Rae Burrell added 10 points.
Hamby scored her team’s first seven points on Thursday, but the Sparks trailed 20-9 with 3:48 left in the first quarter and never pulled back within contention, trailing 29-13 after the first quarter and 53-34 at halftime.
“I want our team to leave it all out there,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said before the game.
The Aces, who made 11 3-pointers in the first half, were led by perennial MVP candidate A’ja Wilson (23 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, two steals and four blocked shots). Jewell Loyd scored 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting from 3-point range. Jackie Young had a double-double with 17 points and 12 assists, as did former Sparks point guard Chelsea Gray with 15 points and 10 assists. NaLyssa Smith added 10 points.
The Aces’ 16-game winning streak matches a 2014 run by the Mercury as the second-longest win streak in WNBA history, behind an 18-game run by the Sparks in 2001.
The Sparks played without starting point guard Julie Allemand (left ankle) and starting small forward Rickea Jackson (right lower leg), both nursing lingering injuries. Barker and Burrell, who was coming off a career-high 20 points in Tuesday’s win against the Mercury, started alongside Plum, Hamby and Azurá Stevens.
“The expectations for how we compete shouldn’t change no matter who is in uniform, who’s not,” Roberts said before tip-off. “Whether we’re out of the playoff hunt or not. We want to play the way we’re supposed to play, meaning share the ball, play really hard, just play the right way and compete the right way.”
However, the Sparks shot just 31 for 73 from the field (42.5%), including the 4-of-26 showing from 3-point range.
Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts on Sparks missing 2025 WNBA playoffs, Kelsey Plum’s in-season growth as a No. 1 option.
Coach Roberts spoke during her pregame media availability before hosting Las Vegas Aces Thursday night. #lasparks #wnba #basketball pic.twitter.com/DXKIBTBkVI
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) September 12, 2025
The Aces began the season 14-14 before rattling off 16 victories to conclude the regular season, surging from nearly missing the playoffs to the No. 2 seed.
“You have to do some serious self reflection and I think they all did that individually, they came together collectively and said no more,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said before the game.
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon on why her team is on a 15-game winning streak during pregame media availability before playing the Los Angeles Sparks in a regular season finale on Thursday night. #wnba #basketball pic.twitter.com/WMymi07Lfx
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) September 12, 2025
Originally Published:
