Sparks forward Dearica Hamby reaches for a high pass during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown shoots over Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink reacts toward an official after losing the ball out of bounds during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks center Li Yueru drives to the basket against Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks center Li Yueru, right, drives to the basket as Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan defends during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks center Li Yueru falls to the court after driving to the basket during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
A Sparks fan holds up signs directed toward the officials during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink scores during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Layshia Clarendon drives to the basket during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dallas Wings coach Latricia Trammell looks on from the sideline during the first half of their game against the Sparks on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Kia Nurse tries to drive to the basket as Dallas Wings center Stephanie Soares impedes her path during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks coach Curt Miller reacts toward an official during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown takes a shot during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink shoots from outside during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby scores during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, center, is fouled while driving to the basket during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown passes the ball during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks center Li Yueru drives to the basket again Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan (15) and forward Monique Billings (25) during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink shoots during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie forward Rickea Jackson handles the ball during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink shoots during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Kia Nurse, left, is fouled by Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Kia Nurse, left, is fouled by Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun during the first half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, right, shoots during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink (22) puts up a shot in traffic during the first half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist puts up a shot in front of Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson, right, during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, right, knocks the ball away from Dallas Wings forward Monique Billings, center, during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink reacts after scoring during the second half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Actor/comedian Leslie Jones reacts from a courtside seat during the second half of a game between the Sparks and the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dallas Wings forward Monique Billings drives to the basket as Sparks forward Stephanie Talbot defends during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks guard Lexie Brown sits on the bench after an injury during the second half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson reaches for a rebound during the second half of their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale drives to the basket as Sparks forward Stephanie Talbot defends during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, right, battles for the ball against Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist, right, loses the ball in front of Sparks forward Stephanie Talbot during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Actor/comedian Leslie Jones, right, greets Sparks rookie forward Rickea Jackson before their game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
A WNBA basketball sits on the court during the second half of a game between the Sparks and the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Actor/comedian Leslie Jones poses for pictures before the Sparks’ game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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LOS ANGELES — Sparks forwards Dearica Hamby and Cameron Brink each recorded double-doubles to help the team end its three-game losing streak.
Hamby had 16 of her game-high 22 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double in 10 games. Brink, a rookie, had her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Sparks outscored the Dallas Wings 20-9 in the fourth quarter to rally for an 81-72 comeback win on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
“Our aggressiveness and tenacity on defense,” Hamby said when asked what it took to pull off the comeback win. “It wasn’t perfect but we were competing and that’s something that we emphasized (Thursday), we had a team meeting and we were like we have to dig deep and compete on defense so to see it on the floor (Friday night) means a lot.”
Guard Lexie Brown, whose fourth 3-pointer of the game put the Sparks ahead to stay at 68-67 with 7:42 left in the fourth quarter, had 16 points (4 for 8 from 3-point range) and six assists.
“I got more aggressive hunting for my shot and my teammates set me up great (Friday),” Brown said. “Dearica set some amazing screens for me. We emphasized that in practice (Thursday) just being more intentional of what we’re doing on offense.”
The Sparks (3-7) outscored the Wings (3-6) by a wide margin (52-34) in the paint and avenged an 84-83 loss to Dallas on May 26.
“I love the culture that we’re trying to create and build,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “I love that we’re establishing playing hard and that’s not anything that we have to coach. I’m really excited about what’s building behind the scenes. The wins and the losses will take care of themselves. … I know that it’s going to take time and that it doesn’t always show up in wins and I look at this as our second first year with a new kind of build on what we’re doing.”
Sparks guard Layshia Clarendon’s layup capped a 9-0 run that pushed the Sparks’ lead to 74-67 with 4:59 left. Wings All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, who finished with 22 points on 10-for-28 shooting, got Dallas within 75-72 with 1:35 left, but Brink answered with a layup to make it 77-72 with 1:18 remaining.
A jumper from Brown pushed the Sparks’ advantage to 79-72 with 51.8 left, then Brink grabbed her 10th rebound off a 3-point attempt by Wings rookie guard Sevgi Uzun with 27.8 remaining.
The Sparks edged the Wings on the boards 36-35, which was a point of emphasis pregame for Miller.
“The centerpiece of having some time of success against Dallas around the league is you have to be able to rebound with them … the game requires physicality to be successful against their post game but also their concerted effort, consistently to get in the paint, so that physicality is going to be really important,” Miller said before tip-off.
The Sparks next host the back-to-back WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday.
The Wings opened the game on a 7-0 run, with five points from Maddy Siegrist (21 points). Brink broke the scoring drought with a putback layup, and Brown scored eight points off the bench in the first with her 3-pointer giving the Sparks a 16-14 lead. Hamby (two layups) and guard Aari McDonald (3-pointer) teamed up for a 7-0 run that gave the Sparks a 23-16 lead in the final minute of the period.
“All learning lessons, the hard part about this cadence of the season is you have to learn in games because games are basically every other day now for the next three weeks,” Miller continued.
Ogubowale kept up the offensive pressure for Dallas. Her 14th point of the first half came on a nifty fast break layup, where she faked out Brink to give the Wings a 40-32 lead late in the second quarter.
Brink’s buzzer-beating layup to end the first half gave the Sparks life but the Wings still led, 44-38, at intermission. Siegrist led all scorers with 15 points in the first half. Sparks center Li Yueru, a 6-foot-7 second-year pro from China, was a bright spot for the Sparks, scoring seven of the team’s 15 points in the second.
“Li was huge for us in the first half with her post-ups and even Rickea in the post-ups in transition,” Brown continued.
The Sparks’ reserves outscored their counterparts 24-0 in the first 20 minutes.
The Sparks pulled within two points six times in the third quarter before rookie forward Rickea Jackson banked in a layup and tied the score at 56-all with 2:37 left in the period. However, the Sparks trailed 63-61 at the end of the third. Siegrist and Ogunbowale combined for 38 points through the first 30 minutes of play.
Jackson again tied the score at 63 on a cutting layup created by a nice assist by Hamby early in the fourth.
“Bigger picture-wise, we’re trying to get better,” Miller said. “We know we’re in build and we know who we are and we’re not satisfied with how we’re playing. It’s not just wins and losses, we’re just not satisfied that we’re playing to our potential.”
Hamby shot 9 for 16 from the field and 4 for 6 from the free-throw line to go with four assists on a night when the Sparks shot 47.1% from the field and had 23 assists on their 33 baskets.
Dallas shot 39.7% from the field and made just two of its 17 3-point attempts.
Wings coach Latricia Trammell, who spent four seasons as a Sparks assistant coach between 2019-22, acknowledged before the game that her team would be playing with nine available players, as All-Stars Satou Sabally (shoulder), Natasha Howard (foot) and rookie Jaelyn Brown (illness) will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“We just have to stay in the mix until they get back,” Trammell said.
