Sparks get off to fast start, hold off Tempo 99-95 behind Plum’s 25 points

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kelsey Plum scored 18 of her 25 points in the second half and the Los Angeles Sparks had a fast start before holding off the Toronto Tempo 99-95 on Friday night for their first win of the season.

The teams will meet against Sunday in Los Angeles.

The expansion Tempo (1-2), in their first road game, trailed by 20 in the second half before getting within two points with 2:23 to play. Plum and Nneka Ogwumike combined for the next six points. Toronto was within three with just under a minute to go but Plum made a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds to left and Cameron Brink added two more with 8.9 left to make it 99-93.

Ogwumike added 20 points for the Sparks (1-2), Dearica Hamby had 19, Rae Burrell 13 and Eric Wheeler 10.

Brittney Sykes scored 27 points for Toronto, reserve Laura Juskaite had 16 and Nyara Sabally added 14. With Kiki Rice adding 11 off the bench the Tempo reserves had 42 points to just Brink’s 10 points for the Sparks.

But L.A. shot 64% (37 of 58) to 44% for Toronto, which was outscored 54-30 on points in the paint.

Los Angeles scored the first 10 points of the game and led 21-2 before the Tempo recovered and cut the deficit to 28-17 after one quarter. The Sparks made 11 of 18 shots.

Toronto closed to 42-37 on a Sykes finger roll late in the second quarter but trailed 46-38 at the half.

The Sparks opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run to take a 58-38 lead midway through. Then the Tempo clawed back again, getting within 74-63 going into the fourth quarter.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The Associated Press