
Sparks' Kelsey Plum hits game-winner, curses during live postgame interview
Another notable performance was that of Wings rookie guard Paige Buckers, who set a WNBA single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points on 17-21 shooting and became the first player in league history to shoot at least 80% from the field while scoring 40 or more points.
But it was Plum who dropped the mic in her postgame interview after scoring 20 points in the victory.
"We got to play some (expletive) defense," Plum said before walking off to the locker room.
Dallas shot 48% for the game and made 11 of its 19 3-point attempts.
Plum's interview was broadcast live on television, allowing fans at Crypto.com Arena to hear her thoughts following a tough victory.
Plum was asked about the playoff push the team is embarking on, and with nine games remaining, Los Angeles (17-18) is a half-game back of the eighth and final postseason spot.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Verge
6 minutes ago
- The Verge
DoorDash is offering 50 percent off DashPass orders right now.
Posted Aug 21, 2025 at 7:33 PM UTC DoorDash is offering 50 percent off DashPass orders right now. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers tied a WNBA rookie scoring record with 44 points in a single game on Wednesday. To celebrate, DashPass members can get 50 percent off a single order (up to $10 off) with promo code WNBA50 through 3AM ET tomorrow, August 22nd. Everyone say, 'Thanks, Paige!' Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Brandon Russell Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Brandon Russell Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Deals Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech

Indianapolis Star
7 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White on Caitlin Clark's injuries: 'Caitlin wants to play.'
INDIANAPOLIS — A continuous string of 'bad luck' has been one of the most frustrating aspects of Caitlin Clark's sophomore season with the Indiana Fever. It started even before the season kicked off, as she missed the Fever's preseason opener with what she referred to as 'a bit of tightness' in her left quad. She then suffered a left quad strain on May 24, forcing her out for more than two weeks. Five games after her return from that quad strain, she suffered a left groin injury during the Fever's road trip in late June, keeping her out for another five games. Then, four games after her return from the left groin injury, she suffered a right groin injury on July 15 while playing the Connecticut Sun in Boston. She got imaging multiple times after that, including an MRI on July 16 that officially diagnosed the injury. More imaging following that MRI showed that there was not any additional damage outside of the right groin injury. Re-live Caitlin Clark's historic rookie year She's been working for more than a month to return from that right groin injury, but had yet another injury recently pop up — adding to that frustration she's already been feeling. 'It's been really frustrating,' Fever coach Steph White said Thursday. 'I mean, Caitlin wants to play, you know, she's a competitor. She just wants to be on the floor. She just wants to play basketball. She's in the mindset that she's hungry, right, that she wants to be out there, and she wants to be with her team, and she's working her butt off to get back in those situations. I think each time you have a tweak, or each time you have something else, it's frustrating.' Clark suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle while doing an individual workout in Phoenix on Aug. 7, a source confirmed to IndyStar. The source told IndyStar that, even without the ankle injury, she would've still missed games up until this point with the right groin injury. The Fever did not specify if this new injury is considered a setback, considering she didn't have a timetable for return from the right groin injury. 'There was no timeline or projected return to play so it's impossible to say if it was impacted," a Fever spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. "So it remains the same: To give Caitlin as much time needed to ensure she comes back fully healthy, which everyday she is working hard to do.' What makes this process especially frustrating for Clark is that it's the first time she's had a string of injuries like this. She played all 139 games of her college career, then 42 games in her rookie season (including playoffs), without any injuries. Now, after five years of playing in every game possible, her sophomore season in the WNBA has been marred by seemingly constant injuries. During this tough stretch of injuries Clark has been leaning on the Fever coaching staff, including White and assistants Karima Christmas-Kelly, and Briann January — all of whom played in the WNBA themselves and went through injuries. They've been helping her through the exasperating aspects of her seasons, both mentally and physically. 'It's kind of the nature of the business, you know, when you are an athlete, you're going to have some of these injuries,' White said. 'This is really the first time in her career that she's had this string of bad luck, so to speak, if that's what you want to call it. So I think No. 1, it's an opportunity to grow and to understand the big picture. Again, I say I'm so thankful that between myself and Karima and Bri, you have players who have been through these kinds of situations and great resources for her to utilize, because it's emotionally and mentally as draining as it is physically.' Clark does not currently have a timetable for return, and the Fever have little practice time remaining in the season as they go on this final nine-game stretch over three weeks. She is one of four players out for the Fever currently — Sophie Cunningham (right MCL), Sydney Colson (left ACL) and Aari McDonald (right foot) have all been ruled out for the season after suffering injuries earlier this month.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The WNBA's latest announcement is another reminder they need to pay players what they're worth
Everyone really has been watching women's sports. The WNBA announced Thursday that they have set a single-season attendance record, breaking the previous record from 2002. Seems odd that that record had been held since 2002, right? Well, back then, there were 16 WNBA teams; this year, there are 13 teams. This highlights the growing interest in women's basketball but also the commitment from franchises to make sure their venues have enough seating for everyone who wants to come watch the action. Many games this season have been moved to bigger venues to accommodate. That, plus the boom in women's basketball fandom the league has seen, has resulted in historic attendance records. Attendance is different from viewership, of course. This is measuring people who showed up and not people who tuned in. With only 13 WNBA markets, it can be hard to get everyone who would love to see a WNBA game live in person out to one. Yet, the league has already broken the record with multiple weeks still left in the regular season. So far in 2025, 2,501,609 fans have attended a total of 226 games. When the record was set in 2002, it was across 256 total games, and again with three more teams in the mix. These moves to bigger arenas have been for games featuring the league's next generation of stars, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese. Despite those who feared the league would be in trouble attendance-wise after Caitlin Clark was injured earlier in the season, people have continued to show up for these games. Even when the league traveled to Canada for its first international regular-season game between the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm, the game was sold out, with over 15,000 fans in attendance. The WNBA is still in growth mode as well. After welcoming their 13th team this season with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries (who have contributed to league attendance at their famed 'Ballhalla' in the Bay), the WNBA will welcome two more teams next year with the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. Three more teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia will join by 2030. Surpassing that 16-team mark and heading up to 18 total WNBA teams will only see these attendance records get broken more and more over the next 5 seasons. The league is at a pivotal point of growth at the moment, which is why coming to a deal with the Players' Union and signing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement soon is important. If the league lets the current CBA expire at the end of October and there is any kind of work stoppage, this growth could falter. The players are fighting for better revenue share, increased salaries, and protections among many other areas as well. While there have been multiple meetings and negotiations, it doesn't seem like the two sides are any closer to signing a new contract. It's an important time for the growth of the league, and the perfect time for players to use their leverage to get what they deserve.