The first time the Los Angeles Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces locked horns in the 2026 WNBA season, the Aces dominated the Sparks 105-78 and exposed almost every weakness in Los Angeles’ rotation. So when the two teams met again on Saturday night, the Sparks walked in looking for blood. And if you watched the game, you already know they looked like a completely different team. Behind a huge offensive night from Kelsey Plum and an energetic performance from Cameron Brink, Los Angeles pushed the defending champions to the edge on nearly every possession.

With the intensity around the matchup already high, especially after A’ja Wilson revealed a diamond chain celebrating the WNBA’s upcoming 30th season, the Sparks matched the Aces’ intensity from the opening quarter and never backed down. Ultimately, they got their revenge with a statement 101-95 victory.

So let’s take a look at the biggest takeaways from the Sparks-Aces matchup.

Kelsey Plum haunted her former team

If there was one player who truly changed the entire trajectory of this game, it was Plum.

Against her former franchise, she delivered one of the best performances of the night and carried the Sparks during several crucial stretches of the game. She finished the night with a ridiculous 38 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds while shooting 12-of-17 from the field, 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.

But what left fans’ jaws dropped was how she closed the game.

Late in the fourth quarter, while the Aces kept threatening to steal the game, Kelsey Plum stayed composed and delivered several clutch possessions, including critical free throws and a late steal that effectively sealed the win for Los Angeles.

But it is also worth noting that her performance came with major historical significance. She:

• Passed Tamika Catchings for 12th on the WNBA’s all-time made threes list
• Joined Caitlin Clark as the only players this season with five 20-point games.
• Leads the WNBA with four games of at least four made three-pointers
• Became just the third player in WNBA history to score 25+ points five times in the first six games of a season, joining Elena Delle Donne (2015) and Maya Moore (2014), as per Michael Voepel.

And she has accomplished all that in just six games.

Cameron Brink finally looked like herself again

For the first time in this season, Brink truly looked comfortable, aggressive, and impactful from start to finish.

After entering the night without a single start through the Sparks’ opening five games, Brink suddenly found herself back in the starting lineup following Nneka Ogwumike’s late injury absence. And against one of the toughest teams in the league, she responded with easily her best performance of the season so far.

Brink finished the game with 16 points and 8 rebounds while shooting an efficient 7-of-11 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. Whether it was attacking inside, spacing the floor, or fighting on the glass, she consistently gave Los Angeles much-needed energy throughout the night.

While she has shown flashes of her greatness earlier this season, especially during her strong performance against the Indiana Fever, this game felt different because she sustained that aggression for almost the entire night against a championship-level opponent.

At one point during the game, she even briefly concerned the fans with an injury scare after she took an accidental shot to the nose during a rebounding battle with NaLyssa Smith.

But her performance was not completely perfect.

Brink still struggled with some of the same issues that had followed her early in her WNBA career, particularly foul trouble and turnovers. She finished the night with six turnovers and eventually fouled out after just 24 minutes on the floor.

Still, the overall takeaway remained overwhelmingly positive.

The Sparks spoiled the Aces’ celebration night

Beating the defending champions is already difficult enough. But doing it on a night that was about them celebrating their latest title makes it even bigger.

Before tip-off, the Aces unveiled their “2025 World Champions” banner as Las Vegas celebrated another championship season in front of their home crowd. But instead of feeling like they were in the enemy’s territory, the Sparks completely ruined their party with arguably their best overall team performance of the season.

Unlike the season opener, this game featured contributions from almost everyone in the rotation as six players finished the game in double figures.

Kelsey Plum led the way, while Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby both added 16 points each. Ariel Atkins chipped in another 11 points, while Erica Wheeler and Rae Burrell finished with 10 points apiece.

Thanks to them, Los Angeles shot an incredibly efficient 55% from the field. But what’s even more impressive is that the Sparks committed only four turnovers in the entire second half despite facing constant pressure. And that composure ultimately became one of the biggest differences.

With this win in their bag, the Sparks now improve to 3-3 and finally have tangible proof that they can compete with and beat the WNBA’s elite teams when their offense, energy, and depth all click together.

Now, with five days off before their next matchup against the Washington Mystics on May 29, Los Angeles gets a much-deserved rest to recover.

Chennedy Carter continues rewriting the Aces’ bench scoring history

Even in a frustrating loss, Carter of the Aces once again proved why she has quickly become one of the Aces’ most important offensive weapons this season.

Coming off the bench, Carter continued her incredible scoring run and further cemented herself in the Aces record books. Through just six games this season, she has already recorded four 20-point performances off the bench – the second-most such games in a single season in Aces history.

The only player still ahead of her on that list? Ironically, it’s former Aces star Kelsey Plum.

During the 2021 season, Plum came off the bench in every game she played and recorded eight 20-point games as a reserve.

So while the Aces ultimately failed to win at home, Carter’s scoring explosion continues to look like one of the biggest positives for Las Vegas.

The Aces’ defense cracked under pressure

For a team that carries the expectations of clinching another championship title this season, giving up 101 points at home is going to take a while to get over.

If there was one area where the Aces struggled most, it was their defense.

Los Angeles consistently found quality looks offensively while moving the ball far more comfortably than they did in their first face-off. Six different Los Angeles players easily finished in double figures, which is enough to tell you how much the Aces struggled to contain the Sparks across all areas of the floor.

Even though A’ja Wilson did everything possible to keep Las Vegas alive, it still was not enough. She finished the night with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks while battling on both ends of the floor throughout the night. But the Sparks’ balanced offensive attack ultimately proved too much to overcome.

What makes the loss even more concerning is that Los Angeles was far from perfect themselves. The Sparks constantly battled foul trouble throughout the night, committed 17 turnovers, and finished with 24 total fouls. Both Dearica Hamby and Cameron Brink fouled out during crucial stretches of the game as well. And despite all of those mistakes, the Aces still could not fully capitalize.

The loss also officially snapped the Aces’ four-game winning streak and served as an early reminder that even defending champions can get exposed defensively when the intensity and execution slip for long stretches.