Hamby Dominates with 27 Points, 15 Boards as Sparks Defeat Mercury 97-88

Behind a sensational performance from Hamby and a historic 60-point first half, Los Angeles held off a late Phoenix surge to secure their first road victory of the season.

Photo: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

A classic matchup featuring two of the WNBA's founding franchises turned into a historic showcase for the California squad. The Los Angeles Sparks captured their first road victory of the regular season, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 97-88 behind a masterful performance from forward Dearica Hamby and a spectacular offensive display that shattered franchise milestones.

The contest at Arizona carried significant nostalgic weight as the Mercury sported throwback uniforms and their original 1997 midcourt logo to celebrate the league's landmark 30th anniversary season. However, the visitors quickly hijacked the celebration. Following a tightly contested opening quarter that left LA up by just one point (24-23), the Sparks exploded in the second frame, outscoring Phoenix by a definitive 35-19 margin. Shooting an efficient 11-of-16 from the floor and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, Los Angeles cruised into halftime with a 60-43 lead, setting a franchise record for the most points scored in a first half.

The second half featured a spirited rally from the home team. Sparked by Alyssa Thomas's 23 points and Kahleah Copper's 22-point contribution, the Mercury put together a fierce 14-3 run during the third period to trim down a deficit that had peaked at 21 points. However, the Sparks managed to stop the bleeding through perimeter contributions from Rae Burrell and sheer dominance from Hamby, who scored LA's final 10 points of the quarter—including a buzzer-beating three-pointer—to secure a 12-point cushion heading into the final frame.

The historic evening also featured an elite milestone for the record books. During the second-quarter offensive surge, veteran star Nneka Ogwumike surpassed WNBA legend Tamika Catchings to officially claim fifth place on the league’s all-time career scoring list, finishing her night with 12 points.

Hamby put the finishing touches on her elite performance, logging a dominant 27 points and 15 rebounds. The Sparks' (2-3) offense found perfect balance with Kelsey Plum netting 16 points and distributing 7 assists, while the bench stepped up courtesy of rookie center Cameron Brink (12 points, 3 blocks) and Burrell (12 points). Despite a fourth-quarter perimeter drought, the visitors closed out the match cleanly from the free-throw line and anchored their half-court defense to leave Phoenix (2-4) with a difficult 1-3 record on their homestand.