SEATTLE — A week after claiming the first buzzer-beating win of the WNBA season, the Los Angeles Sparks earned the year’s first double-overtime victory, outlasting the Seattle Storm 108-106 Friday in a game that featured 14 lead changes and 12 ties.
It was a triumph of offensive execution for both teams in crunch time, as each made clutch shots that forced increasingly difficult responses. There were five combined baskets in the final minute of regulation and zero misses. The final minute of overtime saw a Julie Allemand drive to the basket matched by one from Skylar Diggins.
And Gabby Williams’ wing 3-pointer to tie the game with 16 seconds to play — capping a five-point Seattle comeback in the second extra session — was eclipsed by a pick-and-roll finish from Dearica Hamby to seal the win. Diggins’ attempt at the buzzer, one day before the star’s 35th birthday, couldn’t force a third overtime.
The Sparks ended the game with four players scoring at least 20 points, a first in franchise history. They scored their third-most points in a game, collecting their sixth win in seven tries to move to a WNBA-best 9-6 on the road.
“Everyone just did their job,” Rickea Jackson said. “Whatever was asked of us, we executed to the T.”
Jackson led the way for L.A. with 27 points, the second-highest total of her career, but arguably the best game she has ever played at the pro level. Her box-outs helped keep the Storm off the glass, especially early, and the Sparks turned to Jackson down the stretch in regulation when they needed a score to tie the game. Her ability to duck in and overpower her defender was the advantage Seattle couldn’t overcome.
KP mastery. 🔥 @Kelseyplum10 x @WNBApic.twitter.com/rcYtuxFxug
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) August 2, 2025
Fellow L.A. sophomore Cameron Brink played in her second game since returning from an ACL injury suffered in June 2024. Still on a minutes limit, Brink played 12 minutes, registering two steals and three blocks, including a monster rejection on the All-Star Williams in the fourth quarter.
Many of Brink’s minutes came against Dominique Malonga, also a No. 2 pick, and the two dazzled with their defensive playmaking. Brink also chipped in five points on jump shots at the start of the quarter to help the Sparks stay in contact while Hamby and Azurá Stevens were on the bench.
The Storm lost despite 37 points from former L.A. star Nneka Ogwumike and double-digit scoring outputs from three other starters. Afterwards, coach Noelle Quinn was disappointed in the officiating, particularly relating to her point guard. Although L.A. was whistled for 22 fouls compared to 21 for Seattle, Quinn said, “(Diggins) played 43 minutes and took zero free throws. It’s ridiculous. Maybe I have to come up and rant and rave for us to get respect and consistency. That’s all I want.
“I’m not a coach that complains often,” Quinn added. “But I see what happens when people come up here and do it, so now I’m about to do it. Forty-three minutes and zero free throws is bullshit. Period.”
The Storm entered the game last in the league in free-throw attempts per game (15.9) compared to 22.1 for the second-place Sparks. Diggins, however, is 10th in the WNBA with 5.1 foul shots per game, though she didn’t make any trips to the line Friday.
Quinn also questioned the outcome of a challenge with 58 seconds to play in regulation, with Seattle up three. L.A. appeared to lose possession out of bounds, but the referees ruled the ball off the Storm and confirmed the call upon review.
“I saw with my own eyes it go off the opponent and they said there was not enough camera angles to change that call,” Quinn said. “Again, the lack of respect, the disrespect. I can’t. I know I’m young and early in my career but I work very hard and so does my team and we deserve to get refereed consistently. We deserve to get the calls that are just blatant. But there’s not enough camera angles.”
L.A. remains outside of playoff position despite its recent surge, now two games behind the No. 8 seed for the final playoff spot. Seattle falls into a tie with Indiana at No. 5 before the two teams face off Sunday for the second time this season.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, WNBA
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