Plum’s Second-Half Surge Lifts Sparks Past Tempo in 99-95 Thriller.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Sparks earned their first win of the season Friday night, edging the expansion Toronto Tempo 99-95 in a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest that featured a dominant start, multiple momentum swings, and a late defensive stand.

Kelsey Plum led the way with 25 points, including 18 in the second half, helping Los Angeles survive a late Toronto push that trimmed a 20-point deficit down to just two in the closing minutes. Plum sealed the outcome at the free-throw line, knocking down two critical shots with 13.8 seconds remaining as the Sparks fended off the rally. Nneka Ogwumike added 20 points for Los Angeles, while Dearica Hamby contributed 19. Rae Burrell chipped in 13, and Erica Wheeler finished with 10 as the Sparks shot an efficient 64% from the field (37-of-58).

The Sparks came out firing, scoring the game’s first 10 points and building an early 21-2 advantage. Toronto responded to cut the first-quarter gap to 28-17, but Los Angeles maintained control, taking a 46-38 lead into halftime. A decisive 12-0 run to open the third quarter stretched the Sparks’ lead to 58-38, but Toronto refused to fold. Led by 27 points from Brittney Sykes, the Tempo steadily chipped away and pulled within striking distance late in the fourth quarter. Toronto received strong support off the bench, including 16 points from Laura Juskaite and 14 from Nyara Sabally, with rookie Kiki Rice adding 11. The Tempo reserves outscored Los Angeles’ bench production outside of rookie Cameron Brink, who finished with 10 points. Despite the comeback effort, Toronto struggled to contain Los Angeles inside, where the Sparks dominated points in the paint 54-30. The Tempo shot 44% from the field but couldn’t fully recover from the early and third-quarter runs by the home team. With the win, Los Angeles (1-2) and Toronto (1-2) will meet again Sunday in Los Angeles, setting the stage for an early-season rematch with rising stakes for both clubs.