Even in the WNBA's 30th Anniversary game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty, the officiating was able to grab hold of the spotlight after a sequence involving Kelsey Plum.

With 2:28 remaining in the second quarter and the Liberty leading 47-38, Breanna Stewart attempted a shot from outside the arc, but was unsuccessful. As the ball rebounded, Leonie Fiebich jumped over all players to grab it.

But as she came down, Plum was holding onto her left hand. Fiebich shrugged her off, and the referee decided to assess a loose-ball foul on the Sparks guard.

Plum was visibly frustrated following that call, as she believed the officiating was lenient on Fiebich, who had been boxing out with Plum the entire game, and the Sparks star let the referees know about it.

In Plum's defence, her frustration was called for. The 6'4" Fiebich was the primary defender on her. Being a 5'8" guard, that difference in physicality already made matters difficult for Plum.

However, Plum received two fouls while trying to be aggressive on Fiebich herself. The Liberty guard went on to extend their lead to 10 points.

Moreover, Plum just came back from an ankle sprain and was seen taping her left leg in the first quarter itself. Adding all of this, it becomes pretty evident why the Sparks star got aggravated.

Plum finished the game with just 12 points on 5-14 shooting while going 1-7 from three, along with 7 assists. Not her best performance for a team that is usually reliant on her.

But it did not matter in the end, as Nneka Ogwumike saved the Sparks with a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, and Plum had nothing but appreciation for the veteran.

Kelsey Plum Was Shocked that the Sparks Managed to Make a Comeback

The Sparks were down by 17 points in the third quarter, and with the way things were proceeding, nobody in the arena believed that a historic comeback was upon us.

But it was quite poetic that the 15-year veteran and the WNBPA leader for the last two CBAs turned the tide in the Sparks' favor in the fourth quarter, in the 30th anniversary game of the WNBA, surrounded by legends in the crowd.

Nneka was the best player on the court, tying her season high of 24 points, along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a game-winning shot that will be remembered for a while.

“That would be called God. If you don’t believe in God, that’s exactly what that is,” Kelsey Plum told Justin Russo after the game.

The Sparks return to 0.500 with a record of 8-8 for the season. Plum, Ogwumike, and co. will now need to find some consistency and rhythm in their game for the Sparks to reach their first playoffs since 2020.

So, do you think we will see Kelsey Plum and Nneka Ogwumike in action in the playoffs this season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy