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ARLINGTON, TX — The Dallas Wings were defeated by the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night, losing by a final score of 97-96. It was a close game that saw Dallas almost complete the comeback, but the Sparks emerged victorious in the end. There was no shortage of competitive fire throughout the contest. Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers were not afraid to show their brutally honest reactions throughout the matchup, something Bueckers addressed following the game.
“I mean, we're actually pretty good friends,” Bueckers said of Plum. “So, the best way to show respect and have that mutual competitive fire against each other is to go at each other… It's fun competing against the best, she's one of the best guards in the league. It's fun to go back and forth within a team basketball game.”
How fun is it to play against a friend in such a competitive game?
“Very fun,” Bueckers said.
Paige Bueckers, Kelsey Plum both play well Friday night
Paige Bueckers finished the game with 29 points to lead all scorers. Kelsey Plum led LA with 28. They both recorded five assists, but Bueckers only turned the ball over once while Plum finished with five turnovers. Both star guards shot over 50 percent from the field as well.
Plum played a pivotal role in the Sparks holding on for the win. Wings head coach Chris Koclanes addressed Plum's performance following the game.
“She's a great player,” Koclanes said. “Extremely crafty, uses her body well and just can really get to the paint. You've gotta mix it up with her, right? We threw some different looks at her in terms of throwing two bodies at her, switching a little bit… I thought JJ (Quinerly) battled like crazy (while defending Plum). I thought she did a really, really good job holding her own against her.
“She's a tough player to contain. We will get two more cracks at her here in the next week.”
Dallas' next game is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas. Paige Bueckers and the Wings will look to bounce back against the Aces.
