LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Kelsey Plum scored 18 of her 25 points in the second half and the Los Angeles Sparks held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the expansion Toronto Tempo for a 99-95 victory Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, giving the Sparks their first win of the season.

The Tempo, playing their first road game after opening with a win and a loss at home, trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter before storming back to within two with 2:23 left. But Plum and Nneka Ogwumike answered with six consecutive points, and Plum made two free throws with 13.8 seconds left to push the lead back to 96-93. Cameron Brink added two more foul shots with 8.9 seconds remaining, and Toronto’s last-ditch 3-point attempt missed.

Los Angeles jumped out to a 28-17 lead after the first quarter behind hot shooting from Rae Burrell and Nneka Ogwumike, who combined for 13 points in the period. The Sparks pushed the margin to 46-38 at halftime, then extended it to 74-63 entering the fourth quarter. But Toronto outscored Los Angeles 32-25 in the final period, fueled by Brittney Sykes’ relentless attacking and Laura Juskaite’s perimeter shooting.

Sykes, the Tempo’s top star, finished with 27 points on 8-of-20 shooting, including 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, along with four rebounds and seven assists. She scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, repeatedly drawing fouls and converting at the stripe. Her driving layup with 2:26 left cut the deficit to 94-92, capping a 7-0 run that brought Toronto within a single possession.

The Sparks, who had lost their first two games by an average of 18 points, leaned on Plum’s clutch scoring and a balanced attack. Plum added nine assists and shot 8-of-13 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Ogwumike contributed 20 points and five rebounds, while Dearica Hamby posted 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Cameron Brink came off the bench to score 10 points, including the decisive free throws down the stretch.

Toronto’s comeback was fueled by its ability to force turnovers and convert at the free-throw line. The Tempo scored 13 steals — Sykes accounted for four — and turned 16 Sparks turnovers into 21 points. Toronto also made 21 of 22 free throws, a 95.5 percent clip, while Los Angeles was 16 of 20 from the stripe.

Laura Juskaite provided a critical spark for Toronto with 16 points, four assists and three steals, including a trio of 3-pointers. Nyara Sabally added 14 points and nine rebounds with two blocks, and Kiki Rice scored 11 points off the bench, hitting three 3-pointers. Marina Mabrey chipped in 10 points despite struggling from the field.

The game’s most pivotal stretch came midway through the fourth quarter. After Toronto had trimmed a 20-point third-quarter lead to 87-85 on a Sykes drive with 2:26 left, Plum answered with a driving layup, and after a Toronto turnover, Ogwumike scored on a putback and added the free throw for a three-point play, making it 94-87 with 2:06 to play. Sykes made two free throws with 1:54 left, but Plum’s floating jumper with 1:02 remaining restored a five-point lead, 98-91.

The Tempo refused to fold. Nyara Sabally grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a shooting foul with 55.3 seconds left, making both free throws to cut it to 98-93. After a Los Angeles timeout, Plum missed a pull-up jumper, and Sabally secured the defensive rebound, setting up a Toronto timeout with 31 seconds left. But Marina Mabrey misfired on a 3-pointer, and Nneka Ogwumike grabbed the rebound. Plum was fouled and made two free throws with 13.8 seconds left, and after another Toronto timeout, Kia Nurse missed a 3-point attempt. Brink corralled the rebound and was fouled, sealing the game with two free throws.

Los Angeles started the game with authority. Burrell hit two early 3-pointers, and Ogwumike scored inside as the Sparks built a 20-4 lead less than six minutes into the first quarter. Toronto answered with a 13-8 run to close the period, but the damage was done. The Sparks shot 16-of-26 in the first half, including 5-of-11 from deep, while the Tempo made just 10 of 29 shots.

In the third quarter, Los Angeles extended its lead to 67-47 on a Hamby layup with 7:40 left. But Toronto closed the period with a 16-7 run, including a 3-pointer by Teonni Key at the buzzer, to cut the deficit to 74-63 entering the fourth.

The Tempo’s defensive pressure created havoc in the second half. They forced 11 turnovers after intermission, scoring 14 points off those miscues. Toronto also dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds compared to just two for Los Angeles, and turned those into 15 second-chance points.

Los Angeles shot 37-of-58 from the field, a sizzling 63.8 percent, while Toronto made 31 of 70 for 44.3 percent. The Sparks were 9-of-21 from 3-point range to Toronto’s 12-of-33. The Tempo’s 13 steals and four blocks were season highs.

Attendance was announced at 11,861.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Los Angeles with a 54.60 percent probability to win. The Sparks were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-6.5. The total score of 99-95 went over the over-under line of 167.5.