With a full offseason’s worth of training and three games under her belt, Lexie Brown quickly found that the possibility of returning to her career-best 2023 form didn’t appear to be very far off into the distant future. When it came to her shooting, though, “far” and “distant” were among the only ways in which they could be described. Audacious in making her opening statement just four minutes into the game, the smooth-shooting, seven-year guard snags a pass from the Sparks’ side-court logo before connecting on a 28-foot bomb to supply Los Angeles with a lead. For Brown, the three-level scoring avalanche was merely just beginning, as she rode a 15-point first half to a game-high 20 points, alongside two rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers. By virtue of a resilient, last-minute defensive stand by her teammates, the Sparks paired Brown’s shooting with their season’s first victory, outdueling the Washington Mystics on May 21, 2024. · May 22, 2024