Sparks Fly Early—And Often: LA Opens the Season With a Statement Win 

Felicia Enriquez, aka Mynt J, is the host of the podcast BlackLove and Basketball – Compton Edition. She is an NBA credentialed creator representing thePeachBasket. In this article, Sparks Fly Early—And Often: LA Opens the Season With a Statement Win , she recaps the start of the 2025-26 WNBA season for the new look Los Angeles Sparks!

Let me start by saying this—watching a WNBA game live hits different. This wasn’t just basketball, it was vibes, volume, and vulnerability. From the first bucket to the final buzzer of the half, I was locked in. Covering my first WNBA game—remotely but intently—was a reminder that greatness doesn’t always come with fireworks. Sometimes, it shows up in defensive rotations, career nights, and quiet confidence. The Sparks didn’t just show up—they clocked in. Behind a historic performance from Kelsey Plum, gritty team defense, and a locked-in second half, Los Angeles powered past the Golden State Valkyries, 84–67.

Sparks Fly Early – First Quarter: Early Hustle, Early Hits

Azurá Stevens came out setting the tone, scoring the team’s first four points and finishing the quarter with 8. Kelsey Plum added to the rhythm with a smooth 8-footer, and Sarah Ashlee Barker checked in at the 3:04 mark to make her WNBA debut.

The Sparks looked a little off early, missing some easy buckets, but they controlled the paint (14–6) and the break (8–4), and took a 19–17 lead late in the quarter on a Plum layup.

Second Quarter: Finding Their Flow

The jitters started to wear off. Plum hit her first three as a Spark at the 8:08 mark off a Dearica Hamby assist, and Barker scored her first career points with a clean hook shot. Stevens kept hustling, and the chemistry started clicking.

Unfortunately, Rae Burrell exited the game after just one minute of play with a lower leg injury. She has since been ruled out for 6–8 weeks.

At halftime, LA led 42–39 and shot a clean 52.9% from the floor. The rhythm wasn’t perfect, but the effort was there.

Second Half: All Gas, No Glam

This was the Kelsey Plum show. She scored 26 of her 37 points after the break, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 11-for-11 from the line. She became the first player in WNBA history to record 35+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals in a single game.

Dearica Hamby notched her 43rd career double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals, tying her with Liz Cambage and Elena Delle Donne for 31st on the all-time list. Stevens added 11 points, 5 boards, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.

Rickea Jackson chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds, and Odyssey Sims ran the floor with 7 points, 6 assists, and a game-best +25 plus-minus.

The Sparks outscored Golden State 28–8 in the final quarter, allowing just seven points while forcing six turnovers.

Bench Contributions:

• Mercedes Russell logged 12 solid minutes, grabbing 2 rebounds and blocking a shot.
• Sarah Ashlee Barker finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and a steal.
• Rae Burrell played one minute before her injury.
• Emma Cannon and Sania Feagin were listed as DNPs (Coach’s Decision).

The bench didn’t stuff the stat sheet—but they did their job: held the lead, protected the pace, and gave the starters room to shine.

Final Word: Herstory, Hustle & A Hot Start

• Plum’s 37 points set a WNBA record for most in a team debut or season opener.
• Sparks shot 46% from the field and 90.5% from the line (19-of-21).
• They outscored Golden State 40–22 in the paint, 25–15 off turnovers, and 17–9 in fast break points.

Coach Lynne Roberts earned her first win with humility and control:

“It isn’t really about me. It’s about the team and these players. And I’m blessed to be in this opportunity, but I don’t ever want it to be about me.”

Whether she wants the spotlight or not, she led her team with poise.

Next Up: The Sparks host the Minnesota Lynx this Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. PT. If game one is any indication, LA is about to be a problem all season long.