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Kelsey Plum’s Buzzer-Beater Lifts Sparks Over Wings as Paige Bueckers Scores 44

The defeat eliminated Dallas from playoff contention, highlighting Bueckers’ surging Rookie of the Year candidacy.

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Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Aug 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) scores with no time remaining against Dallas Wings center Luisa Geiselsoder (18) for the game-winning basket at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Overview

  • Plum banked in the winning floater at the buzzer to seal an 81-80 result at Crypto.com Arena.
  • Bueckers shot 17-for-21 from the field, 4-for-4 from three and 6-for-6 at the line, scoring Dallas’ final 13 points.
  • Her 44 points tied Cynthia Cooper’s rookie single-game record and extended her double-digit scoring streak to 29, the third-longest by a rookie.
  • She became the first WNBA player to score 40 or more points on at least 80 percent shooting in a game.
  • Los Angeles moved to 17-18 to stay in the playoff chase as Dallas fell to 9-27, with the loss eliminating both the Wings and the Chicago Sky; Dallas’ thin roster worsened with Li Yueru out for the season and JJ Quinerly leaving the game with a leg issue.