LOS ANGELES — Rae Burrell floated through Crypto.com Arena like a Gotham City superhero patrolling the night sky, striking fear into the heart of anyone who dared run afoul of the fourth-year guard.
When Burrell wasn’t smacking off the floor with reckless abandon, putting her body on the line for her LA Sparks teammates en route to a 91-77 victory over the Dallas Wings on Sunday afternoon, the Tennessee alum was attempting to make highlight plays with boundless energy and jaw-dropping athleticism.
“Whether she’s 6-for-6 from 3 or 2-for-6, she’s gonna fly around and make things happen,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said of the guard following the win. Burrell scored all 13 of her points in the fourth quarter, including a personal 8-0 run during an extended 19-0 spurt by Los Angeles.
“She’s so bouncy and aggressive, and that brings everybody to life. I think she tried to dunk it on the breakaway, which is classic Rae. That gets everybody going and the bench was excited. She just brings life and energy,” Roberts said. “She was huge today, that Energizer Bunny, everywhere. Sometimes you don’t even know what’s gonna happen sometimes. But I’ll take that any day.”
Burrell has been a bit of a barometer for the Sparks this season. The team has gone 11-2 in games where Burrell finishes as a positive in plus-minus. Burrell was a +13 on Sunday. They’re 5-8 when she goes negative.
“I’m just trying to be aggressive,” Burrell said after tallying the highest-scoring quarter of her professional career with that 13-point fourth. “I feel like I always try to make sure that I’m coming in and bringing energy to the team, especially when I feel like we really need it.”
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