Sparks’ 17-point – Dearica Hamby hit 400 career steals and finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Portland Fire by 17 points Sunday. Nneka Ogwumike logged a double-double, Erica Wheeler posted a career-high plus-32 rating, and Kelsey Plum’s le
Sunday night didn’t just look good for the Los Angeles Sparks—it moved the numbers into a place they rarely share: milestones, efficiency, and a wide margin that felt earned from the opening stretch.
Dearica Hamby powered the win with one of her best performances of the year. She reached 400 career steals and finished with 22 points on 61.5% shooting from the field, going 8-for-13, along with 12 rebounds in the Sparks’ victory against the Portland Fire.
Nneka Ogwumike kept the momentum going. She recorded a double-double in three consecutive games, bringing her career total to 120—sixth all-time. In Sunday’s game, she posted her seventh career 20+ point and 15+ rebound performance. She did it after scoring 20 points on 57.1% shooting from the field, going 8-for-14, and posting a season-high 17 rebounds.
Erica Wheeler’s impact showed up in a number that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet the way points do. but can still decide how a game feels. Wheeler posted a career-high +32 rating against the Fire. It was the fourth highest +/- of the season and tied for 17th-best in franchise history. Offensively. she also contributed in the flow of the Sparks’ attack—she is 12th in assists per game this season with 4.9. after Sunday night’s line of six points and four assists.
Even as Hamby and Ogwumike owned the centerpiece of the performance. the Sparks’ season-long rhythm was reflected in their top guard. MVP candidate Kelsey Plum ranks second in the WNBA this season with 25.0 Efficiency Per Game. She also leads the league with 25.5 PPG, ranks third in 3PM Per Game, fifth with 6.4 APG, and seventh in FG%.
There was also a snapshot of how loaded the Sparks have been. Los Angeles is the only team with three players in the Top 10 of Efficiency Per Game. The only other team with multiple players in the Top 10 is the first-place Minnesota Lynx.
When the Sparks finally pulled away. it came through the kind of defensive pressure that shows up in turnovers and shooting percentages. Los Angeles posted its largest margin of victory this season, a 17-point win against the Fire Sunday evening. The Sparks scored 23 points off turnovers and recorded 11 steals. They held Portland to 36.1% shooting overall—26-for-72—and 10.7% from three-point range, 3-for-28.
Ogwumike’s production also landed in franchise history. She ranks second in franchise history with three games of at least 20 points and 17 rebounds. Lisa Leslie leads with four of these performances. while Candace Parker and Azurá Stevens are the only other Sparks to accomplish the feat in franchise history.
The Sunday outcome wasn’t built on one hot streak. It was built on overlapping performances—milestone defense, sustained rebounding dominance, ball distribution, and efficiency that keeps climbing—ending with a result that marked the Sparks’ biggest margin of victory this season.
WNBA Los Angeles Sparks Portland Fire Dearica Hamby Nneka Ogwumike Erica Wheeler Kelsey Plum MVP race efficiency steals double-double
400 steals?? That’s insane. I didn’t even know someone could get that many in the WNBA.
Portland Fire sounds like a fake team name lol but 17-point win is still a win. Hamby had 22 points and 12 rebounds or whatever.
Wait so Wheeler had a +32 rating… how is that even real? Like was she in a video game. Also 6 points and 4 assists?? somehow that still counts a lot I guess.
I swear these articles always focus on efficiency and milestones and then act like that explains the whole game. If they were really that dominant early, why does Plum only get mentioned at the end? Not saying it didn’t happen, just seems weird. Also Ogwumike double-double three straight games doesn’t sound that wild to me? maybe I’m missing something.