LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — Dearica Hamby scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 97-88 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night at Michelob Ultra Arena. Hamby, a forward from Marietta, Georgia, also had three assists. Kelsey Plum added 16 points and seven assists, while Cameron Brink contributed 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Nneka Ogwumike scored 12 points for the Sparks, who improved to 2-3. Alyssa Thomas led Phoenix with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Kahleah Copper added 22 points, and Jovana Nogic scored 15 for the Mercury, who fell to 2-4. Los Angeles outscored Phoenix 35-19 in the second quarter to build a 60-43 halftime lead. The Mercury cut into the deficit in the third quarter, but the Sparks held on down the stretch. Attendance was 10,953.

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — Dearica Hamby scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Sparks rode a dominant second quarter to a 97-88 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night at Michelob Ultra Arena. The Sparks outscored the Mercury 35-19 in the second period, building a 60-43 halftime lead that matched a franchise record for points in a half. Los Angeles shot 11 of 16 from the floor in the quarter, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and did not miss a free throw. Hamby, a forward from Marietta, Georgia, played 30 minutes and added three assists. She converted 9 of 10 free throws and scored 12 points in the second half, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter that pushed the Sparks lead to 82-70. Kelsey Plum contributed 16 points and seven assists for Los Angeles, which improved to 2-3. Poway, California native Plum made three 3-pointers and scored 10 points in the second quarter alone. Nneka Ogwumike, Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell each scored 12 points for the Sparks. Ogwumike, from Tomball, Texas, added six rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes. Brink, a forward from 6-foot-4, recorded three blocks and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Burrell scored seven of her points in the second half. Ariel Atkins finished with 11 points, two assists and one blocked shot for Los Angeles. The guard from Dallas, Texas, hit two 3-pointers in the first half. Alyssa Thomas led Phoenix with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes. The Mercury forward scored eight points in the third quarter and six in the fourth, but could not overcome the deficit. Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds for Phoenix, which fell to 2-4. The Philadelphia guard made 7 of 8 free throws but shot 7 of 19 from the field. Jovana Nogic scored 15 points and dished three assists for the Mercury. The guard from Belgrade, Serbia, made two 3-pointers and scored nine points in the first half. Natasha Mack contributed 10 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix. The 6-foot-4 forward from grabbed five offensive boards and shot 4 of 6 from the field. DeWanna Bonner finished with nine points, five rebounds and one blocked shot for the Mercury. The game began with both teams trading runs in the first quarter. Los Angeles took a 25-24 lead after one period, with Plum scoring seven points and Hamby adding four. The Mercury stayed close behind Thomas, who scored six points in the opening frame. The Sparks seized control in the second quarter. Ogwumike hit two 3-pointers, Plum added another, and the defense forced five Phoenix turnovers. Los Angeles scored 14 points off those turnovers and held the Mercury to 7-of-19 shooting in the period. Phoenix made a push in the third quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 27-22. Thomas scored eight points and Copper added seven, but Hamby answered with eight points, including the buzzer-beating 3 from 25 feet. The Mercury continued to fight in the fourth quarter, trimming the lead to 92-85 with 4:20 remaining after a Copper 3-pointer. But Erica Wheeler answered with a 3-pointer of her own, and Hamby made four free throws in the final 90 seconds to seal the win. Attendance was 10,953. A key stretch came late in the second quarter. With Los Angeles leading 41-35, the Sparks went on a 14-4 run over the final 3 minutes. Plum hit a 3-pointer, Brink made a layup and free throw, and Burrell knocked down a 3 from the left wing. Phoenix turned the ball over three times during that span, and Hamby scored five points, including three free throws. The Sparks shot efficiently from the floor and from 3-point range, and they made their free throws. Los Angeles also collected 11 offensive rebounds, converting them into 14 second-chance points. Phoenix had won two of its previous three games, including a 91-83 home victory over Chicago. The Mercury had lost 98-90 to Toronto on Tuesday. Los Angeles snapped a two-game losing streak. The Sparks had lost to Indiana and Toronto after a season-opening win over Toronto. Both teams return to action Saturday. Los Angeles visits Las Vegas, while Phoenix travels to Atlanta. Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Phoenix 99, Los Angeles 88. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Mercury an 84.8 percent probability to win. Phoenix was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 185 points went over the over-under line of 173.5.

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks meet Thursday at Michelob Ultra Arena in a WNBA clash of teams with contrasting early-season trajectories. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PDT. Phoenix (2-2) enters on a high, having defeated the Chicago Sky 91-83 on Friday. The Mercury have split their first four games, with both losses coming by single digits. Los Angeles (1-3) is struggling to find consistency, dropping its last two contests before Sunday’s 96-106 home loss to the expansion Toronto Tempo. The Sparks’ lone win came against the same Tempo team on May 15. Forward Dearica Hamby has been a bright spot for Los Angeles. The veteran has posted at least 16 points in each of the last four games, averaging 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds over that stretch. Hamby collected 21 points, nine rebounds and three assists in Sunday’s defeat. For Phoenix, forward Alyssa Thomas has been a stat-sheet stuffer. She recorded her second double-double in three games Friday with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists against Chicago, following an 11-assist performance against Golden State on May 10. The Mercury lean on a balanced attack. Jovana Nogic exploded for 27 points in the win over Chicago, while Natasha Mack added 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Los Angeles counters with guard Kelsey Plum, who scored a game-high 28 points and dished seven assists Sunday. Forward Nneka Ogwumike contributed 17 points and seven rebounds. Thursday’s contest is the first of two meetings this season between the franchises. They meet again June 13 in Phoenix. A simulation by Interstat projects a 99-88 Mercury victory. Phoenix will aim to build momentum before a four-game road trip beginning Sunday at Atlanta. The Sparks, looking to climb out of a sub-.500 hole, visit Las Vegas on Saturday. Both teams understand the importance of early-season positioning in a rapidly improving league.