Jordin Canada racked up 20 points, eight assists and three steals and the Los Angeles Sparks used a second-half surge to defeat the visiting Atlanta Dream 85-74 on Saturday.
Nneka Ogwumike had 17 points and seven rebounds and Azura Stevens added 15 points and eight boards to fuel Los Angeles.
Layshia Clarendon scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half, as the Sparks trailed by 11 early on but outscored Atlanta 24-11 in the third quarter to flip the script.
The Sparks (12-18) have won three straight games for the first time this season. Canada has posted at least 10 points, seven assists and three steals in each of those wins.
The Dream (15-15) have dropped four of their last five. Cheyenne Parker and Rhyne Howard each finished with 17 points and Aari McDonald put up 15 off the bench.
Atlanta didn’t miss a free throw until the fourth quarter and finished 22-of-24 from the line to make up for a 4-for-23 showing from 3-point range.
Canada scored five points in the first minute of the fourth quarter to give the Sparks their largest lead yet at 67-56. The Dream crept within seven points multiple times before Canada knocked down a long 3-pointer to make it 78-67 with 4:27 left, effectively icing the game.
Atlanta led 24-22 after one quarter, with half its point total coming at the foul line and five different players making free throws.
After the Sparks tied the game in the first minute of the second quarter, Atlanta went on an extended 17-6 run. Howard’s three-point play and Allisha Gray’s easy driving layup made it 41-30 with 4:07 left in the half.
The Sparks trimmed it to 45-38 by intermission thanks in part to Ogwumike’s 11 points. Parker led all scorers with 14 on 6-of-9 shooting and Howard had 11 for Atlanta.
The Sparks scored the first five points of the third quarter and drew within 47-46 on Clarendon’s layup and foul. After an Atlanta turnover, Karlie Samuelson buried a 3-pointer to hand Los Angeles its first lead of the game at 49-47. Another three-point play by Clarendon pushed it to 54-50.
Los Angeles’ Zia Cooke nearly beat the shot clock with a baseline jumper in the final minute of the third, and it was originally awarded to her. But officials reviewed the shot during the next intermission and overruled it, reverting the score to 62-56 Sparks.
–Field Level Media
