Plum, Copper Post First-Ever Dueling 40-Point WNBA
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- Kelsey Plum scored 43 and Kahleah Copper scored 41 on Saturday, marking the first time opposing players have posted dueling 40-point games in WNBA history (regular season or playoffs), and both set career highs.
- The Sparks won 111-102 in overtime at Phoenix's Mortgage Matchup Center, improving to 7-6 and extending their win streak to three.
- Plum shot 14-of-26 from the field, 5-of-11 from three, 10-of-12 from the line with 7 assists, tying the Sparks' single-game scoring record held by retired guard Kristi Toliver and matching the franchise mark for fourth-quarter points with 17.
- Copper went 16-of-30 from the field and 6-of-14 from three with 10 rebounds, becoming the first Mercury player to record a 40-point double-double and joining retired Diana Taurasi as the only Phoenix players to reach 40 in a game.
- Copper became just the second WNBA player to score 40+ in a loss — Seattle's Lauren Jackson was the first in 2007 — as Phoenix dropped to 4-11 overall and 1-5 at home.
- Plum leads the WNBA in scoring at 26.6 points per game on 55.5% shooting and 41.4% from three — all career highs — and attributed her ninth-year leap to offseason strength work and greater mental patience under coach Lynne Roberts.
Why it matters: Plum is posting a historically efficient WNBA-best 26.6 PPG on a 7-6 team riding a three-game streak, framing her as a legit MVP candidate, while Copper joined Taurasi in Phoenix's 40-point club yet watched the Mercury fall to 4-11 and 1-5 at home — a stark split between individual brilliance and team collapse.
