Sparks storm back, edge Seattle in final seconds

Dearica Hamby turned a tie-breaking layup into a three-point play with 5.6 seconds remaining Sunday night, lifting the Los Angeles Sparks to a tense 94-91 victory over the visiting Seattle Storm.

After a pair of layups by Brittney Sykes had produced the fifth and sixth ties of the fourth quarter, the latter at 91-all on a layup with 12.7 seconds remaining, the Sparks got the ball to Hamby and she was fouled at the rim by Dominique Malonga while dropping in her go-ahead shot.

Hamby made the resulting free throw for a three-point advantage, after which the Storm, despite the advantage of a timeout, could not get a potential game-tying three-pointer in the air.

The win allowed the Sparks (15-16) to move within a half-game of the Storm (16-16) and Golden State Valkyries (15-15) in the WNBA standings. Those three teams are dueling the Washington Mystics (14-17) for the final two playoff positions.

The thrilling finish came after Seattle, down 78-75 following a Julie Allemand three-pointer with 5:57 to go, went on a 12-2 burst that put them up seven with 2:52 left. Sykes, the game's high scorer with 27 points, had a pair of three-pointers and a short-range jumper in the run.

Azura Stevens got the Sparks back within two with a layup and a three-pointer, and when Hamby dropped in two free throws with 1:25 to go, Los Angeles had rallied into an 87-all tie, setting up a back-and-forth finish.

Taking advantage of a team that had played — and lost — on the road the night before, the Storm blitzed the Sparks early on, holding the hosts to five points in the first 8:50 while building a 16-point lead. Nneka Ogwumike had seven points in the early flurry.

But Los Angeles turned the tables quickly. After scoring nine points in the final 70 seconds of the first period, the Sparks put up 32 over the second 10 minutes, taking as much as a nine-point lead.

Hamby finished with 19 points, one fewer than team leader Kelsey Plum, who also found time for seven assists. Stevens chipped in with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Cameron Brink went for 14 points in just 11 minutes. Rickea Jackson added nine points and Allemand a game-high eight assists and three steals.

Sykes' game-high point total came on 11-for-21 shooting. She also had four steals. Skylar Diggins aided the Seattle cause with 17 points and a team-high six assists.

The 19-year-old Malonga recorded her second career 20-point game and third career double-double, all on the road, with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Ogwumike posted her sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.