Section VII—Defensive Three-Second Rule: “a. The count starts when the offensive team is in control of the ball in the frontcourt. b. Any defensive player, who is positioned in the 16-foot lane or the area extending four feet past the lane endline, must be actively guarding an opponent within three seconds… Once the offensive player passes the ball, the defender must actively guard an opponent or exit the 16-foot lane.”

Caitlin Clark may be out on the injury list right now for the Indiana Fever, but you cannot keep her out of the game. While her animated arguments with the refs are nothing new, in the Fever-LA Sparks series, we’re seeing another level of it. It even involves the 2x WNBA champion Kelsey Plum. In that Sparks 85-75 win, during a stoppage in the third quarter, the sidelined No. 22 was arguing with a referee over a call. Without realizing, she stepped one foot on the sideline. Noticing the same, Plum half-jokingly spotlighted that to the nearest official, who ignored her plea. This time around, it was Plum on the sophomore’s target.

With 6:42 on the clock in the third quarter during Fever’s offensive run, Aari McDonald was putting her team into position. Just then, official Jeffrey Smith blows a whistle on Azura Stevens. She had been in the restricted area for over three seconds without refreshing her feet without actively guarding anyone on the Fever. As a result, a technical foul was called on her and Kelsey Mitchell got to make a technical free throw which she missed. But Plum wouldn’t let the case go as easily. Even as Mitchell and the referee went to assume free throw position, the Sparks No. 10 kept talking to him. And guess who’s cue it was to point it out?

In a viral clip now, when Plum walked over to the ref to plead her case, one camera angle showed what Clark was doing. On the sidelines, all fired up, she was applauding the referee. Once Mitchell was on the stripe, Clark then waved away at Plum as if to say “Yeah, okay, you can stop now.” We all know how the point guard loves to taunt her opponents while she is on the floor but seeing her carry that same energy on the sidelines even if as a joke is certainly entertaining. But the game? It kept everyone on the edge of their seats throughout the 40 minutes.

The Indiana Fever has been on a roll lately. Probably their best stretch of the season, specifically defensively. They were riding a three-game win streak going into this one at home. Their defense was locked in. They’ve been holding teams to just 27% from the three-point line – the best in the league. In the last two games, they held Minnesota and Aces under 60 points, something the Fever had not done since 2013. So even with Clark sitting out her fifth straight game, it really felt like this could be Indy’s night.

But the Sparks weren’t having any of that. Coming off two straight losses, they showed up with a point to prove. The game was tight all the way, with no room to breathe. And in the end, Sparks’ advantage at length got the better of the only team above them in the league when it comes to pace.

And the Sparks star seems to have taken the entertainment duty fully. Apart from these instances, she was also seen handing out a Sparks shirt to a fan courtside in the last game, who then pulled it over her Fever jersey just to get a picture. “Next time, do better,” Plum joked. If that was not enough, at one point in the second quarter, she did another funny thing.

Kelsey Mitchell locked her up so tight that Plum ended up flat on the floor. And instead of just getting up, what does she do? Three push-ups. Right there on the hardwood. The crowd lost it. So sure, this game was packed with viral sideline drama, antics, and plenty of Plum flair. But make no mistake, she brought the fire too as Sparks beat the Fever again. 

Sparks rally again to stun Caitlin Clark-less Fever

The LA Sparks just did it again. For the second time in 10 days, they rallied in the second half to beat the Indiana Fever at home. Remember those three push-ups Plum did after getting knocked down? Turns out, that little floor flex gave her squad exactly the energy boost they needed to muscle through the second half, outscoring the hosts 47-42. 

Just like June 26, LA finished strong in the fourth to snap their two-game skid and handed the Fever another L without Clark on the floor. The Fever looked sharp, getting easy buckets, but the Sparks never let it get out of hand.

Down six, Plum drilled a much-needed three to slice the deficit in half. She kept cooking, but Indiana just kept responding. They pushed the lead again, only for LA to stay close and head into halftime trailing by just three.

Then came the third quarter, and déjà vu. Indiana jumped ahead by eight, but Stevens’ timely 3-pointers pulled the Sparks right back in. Then came another burst – capped by Plum’s deep three – that gave LA the lead at 70-67. Fever tried to claw it back, but LA held a one-point lead heading into the fourth.

Things got chippy. The lead kept flipping. Boston and Mitchell kept striking for the Fever, but LA always had an answer. A massive three-point play helped the Sparks close the gap again. Then, with just under a minute left, Rickea Jackson came up clutch, finishing at the rim to give LA the 88-87 edge. Then came the chaos in last minutes.

Stevens blocked Boston, secured the ball, and called timeout. LA turned it over but got lucky when the Fever missed two huge chances to take the lead. Stevens iced it (well, half-iced it) at the line with 3.3 seconds left, hitting one of two to seal it 89-87. Through it all, Azura Stevens led the way with 21 points and 12 boards. Plum dropped 20 (with plenty of flair), Hamby added 18, and Jackson chipped in 15. Meanwhile, Indy faced its first loss in a while.