With four seconds remaining, and the Sparks trailing 74-72, two-time WNBA champion Kristi Toliver hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to tie the game at 74-74 and send the game to overtime. Following Toliver’s buzzer beater, Los Angeles carried that momentum into overtime, as Brittney Sykes and Amanda Zahui B. exchanged buckets, assists, and defensive stops giving the Sparks the 81-77 lead. Toliver followed with a reverse layup to put the Sparks up 83-77 and LA held on 85-80 to win their 17th consecutive game at Staples Center.

“[Toliver]’s composure, and mental toughness to be able to will that ball in when we need it the most, embodies a lot of those qualities that Kobe [Bryant] was about,” Sparks Head Coach Derek Fisher said. “It says a lot about how tough and gritty she is.”

Nneka Ogwumike had a career-high nine assists to go along with 13 points and nine rebounds for a near triple-double. Sykes led all Sparks scorers with 17 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists. Erica Wheeler added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists, and double-figure scoring from Amanda Zahui B. (14) and Nia Coffey (10) put six Sparks in double-figures for the first time this season. The Sparks had a season-high 29 assists.

With playoff implications on the line, the Sparks showed resilience after falling down 49-39 in the second half and trailing 55-49 heading into the fourth quarter. Every time the Dream tried to pull away, the veteran leaders were there, more than ready to pull their team back into the game. That late fourth quarter sequence was no different.

“This was a character game,” Toliver said. “We were able to show that high character and that spirit and that togetherness and grit. That’s who we are.”

The Dream were led by former Spark Odyssey Sims, who scored 26 points and drained four rainbow 3-pointers. The Sparks held Courtney Williams scoreless through the first 39 minutes, but Williams came up with four clutch points in the closing moments of regulation. She wouldn’t score in overtime.

The first half was a defensive struggle, except for Ogwumike, who led all scorers with nine points on 4-for-4 from the field in the first quarter, which fueled a Sparks 8-0 scoring run. Sims recorded 16 first half points, leading the Dream to a 36-30 halftime lead. Ogwumike briefly left in the second quarter after taking a blow to the head but returned to start the second half.

The Sparks held every single Dream player except Sims (23) to single digit scoring and just 38.7% shooting from the field, including Dream All-Star Courtney Williams, who averaged 17 points per game coming into Tuesday.

Following these back-to-back wins, the Sparks will play against the Dream again Thursday at Staples Center at 7:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet and NBATV.

“I love these kinds of wins,” Kristi Toliver said with a grin postgame.