Kelsey Plum came through big for the Los Angeles Sparks in their matchup against the Washington Mystics on Sunday night.

In 33 minutes of action, Plum finished with a stat line of 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds. She shot 4-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

What was huge about her performance was how she played in the fourth quarter. Scoring only four points in the first three quarters, she exploded with 14 points within the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Plum reflected on her performance after the game. She expressed patience throughout the course of the night, waiting for her time to come as it arrived in the fourth quarter.

“I know it will break open for me eventually. I thought they did a really good job playing on-ball street defense throughout the game. So just trying to be patient and then take my shots when I was ready,” Plum said.

How Kelsey Plum, Sparks played against Mystics

Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) shoots the ball against LA Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) and forward Azura Stevens (23) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Thanks to Kelsey Plum's efforts, the Sparks coasted to an 81-78 win over the Mystics in a crucial win.

Los Angeles got off to a strong start, leading 22-11 after the first quarter. Washington tried to fight back as they cut into the deficit in the last three periods, but they were too late in their comeback attempt.

Both squads were even in key statistics, whether it was shooting accuracy, rebounding and playmaking. Washington had 40 rebounds and 20 assists, almost like Los Angeles' 40 boards and 19 dishes. The visitors' shooting splits were 38.9% from the field and 39.1% from three, in comparison to the hosts' 40% and 27.8 clips.

Three players scored in double-digits on Los Angeles' behalf, including Plum. Dearica Hamby had an excellent display of 20 points, 12 assists, two steals, and a block. She shot 8-of-15 overall and 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Rickea Jackson came next with 16 points and two rebounds, while Azura Stevens provided nine points and 12 rebounds.

Los Angeles improved to an 18-20 record on the season, holding the sixth spot of the Western Conference standings. They are 2.5 games behind the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries.

With six games remaining, the Sparks will prepare for their next matchup. They will be on the road, facing the Storm on Sept. 1 at 10 p.m. ET.