LOS ANGELES – The Sparks found themselves once again in a tough contest against the Storm on Sunday after needing two overtimes to earn a win just nine days earlier. This time around, the Sparks were up by three with 5.6 seconds left, hoping to end things in regulation.
As Skylar Diggins received the in-bound, Brittney Sykes set a screen that had the Sparks compromised with both Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum on the ball. Sykes stood unguarded at the 3-point line, waiting for the pass and a potential game-tying shot.
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Julie Allemand, however, read everything in front of her.
The guard jumped the passing lane with perfect timing, knocking the ball into the backcourt, allowing the final seconds to expire. As the clock wound down, she let out a guttural scream with both hands balled up into fists while the LA crowd celebrated alongside her.
The WNBA season is a grueling 44-game grind. The loss on Saturday to Golden State was a gut punch as, on top of being a direct competitor for the final playoff spots, it also means the Valkyries own the season series tiebreaker.
But the exact same stakes applied against the Storm just 24 hours later on Sunday night, too. The Sparks responding with a victory over Seattle showed the mettle that typically exists in a playoff team.
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“What we did after losing over there in Golden State was tough,” Allemand said. “We were exhausted. But coming back and showing that we can win against Seattle, that means a lot. For me, that means that we are a f—— team and we can do a lot of things.”
This kind of game-clinching steal might not go viral across social media, but for those inside the Sparks organization, they’ve viewed Allemand as the key part of their success this season from the jump.
“I think the biggest story that no one’s talking about is Julie [Allemand],” Plum said after the win over Seattle. “There’s a big difference between Julie going to EuroBasket and then Julie (being) back, right? She runs pick and roll. Her pace is unbelievable. She reads things super well. Julie doesn’t get a lot of credit for her defense, her intensity, her competitiveness.”
Allemand’s production doesn’t jump off the page. She’s averaging 5.2 points, 4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. However, her impact is evident when you watch the games. Entering Tuesday’s contest against the Liberty, she had the best plus-minus on the team at +46.
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Since she’s returned from EuroBasket and been inserted into the starting lineup, LA is 10-5, the fourth-best record in the WNBA during this span.
“She understands what the other team is struggling with defensively and she’ll look to exploit it,” Roberts said. “Defensively, she’s really smart. She understands what the other team’s probably going to try to do and that all adds up to the plus-minus. So even if she’s not scoring or getting the defensive stop or the rebound, she’s impacting it in a huge way.”
Allemand is exactly the kind of selfless, team-first point guard every coach desires, and there are plenty of examples of that in action this year.
During one offensive set, earlier in the year, she saw Rickea Jackson standing in the corner, hoping to get a look at a three. Allemand signaled to her to cut to the basket, but she didn’t.
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In the following possession, the same scenario occurred, but this time, Jackson made the cut toward the rim and was rewarded with the ball and an easy basket. That kind of guidance and collaboration is what creates chemistry, success and offensive efficiency.
“I always say to my teammates, ‘If you are open, you’re going to get the ball. If you don’t get the ball, I didn’t see you.’” Allemand said. “I love to pass the ball. I’m not the one who’s going to keep the ball.
“If you see that you can cut because you will be alone, I will give you the ball. So do it and that was the thing with Rickea. She wanted to stay in the corner. But I was like, ‘No, just cut, because you see, I’m giving you the ball.’ So, yeah, it’s normal. We still don’t know each other perfectly.”
While Allemand doesn’t stuff the stat sheet, her game is complete. Her unselfishness gets her plenty of assists, and when she chooses to be the aggressor, she can get to the basket and score. In the Sparks’ recent win over the Sun, her impact and production intersected, resulting in a historic night.
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With the result safely in the bag for the Sparks, the only anticipation left was whether Allemand could complete her first career triple-double as she sat two points shy in the final minutes.
After throwing a pass to Dearica Hamby on the opposite elbow, Allemand followed the ball, received the handoff from her veteran teammate and barrelled her way to the rim for the finish.
And everyone in the building, from fans to teammates to Allemand herself, knew what that bucket meant.
“It was nice to see her play with confidence, and we were all excited about her getting a triple-double,” Hamby said. “I thought, she already had 10 points and I was like, ‘No, we got to get another bucket.’”
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Typically, hunting for a triple-double is frowned upon, but for a player as selfless as Allemand, the entire Crypto.com Arena crowd erupted when she reached the milestone.
Personal achievements are great, but Allemand is only here for one thing, and that’s getting the Sparks back into the postseason. If they keep up their current form, they will have a great chance of accomplishing that goal.
“We trusted the process,” Allemand said. “It was tough at the beginning, but coach was always saying, ‘Guys, trust me, trust the process. We’re gonna do something, but it takes time.’ And I think she was right, and we can see now the result of this because we stuck to the plan.”
LA is in a dog fight for the final playoff spot, battling the Storm, Valkyries and Mystics. After Tuesday’s contests, just two games separate the quartet of teams with only two of them likely to make the postseason.
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It sets up a fascinating final dozen games of the season with the Sparks playing meaningful basketball down the stretch of the regular season for the first time in half a decade.
In none of those 12 games, though, will Allemand be the star on the court. But if the Sparks are to finally return to the playoffs, you can guarantee Allemand will be at the center, continuing to do whatever is needed to get them over the hump.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
