Nneka Ogwumike scores 27, Sparks seize control in second half for win against Storm

LOS ANGELES — Nneka Ogwumike had a team-high 27 points,14 rebounds and four assists to lead the Sparks to a 92-85 win at home against the Seattle Storm Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Layshia Claredon finished 16 points and six assists for the Sparks. Chiney Ogwumike scored 15 points. Jordin Canada added nine points and seven assists.

The Sparks improved to 3-2 and will travel to Seattle (0-4) for a rematch on Tuesday, for the team’s sixth game of the season.

The game was tied at 16 at the end of the first quarter and knotted at 39 at halftime.

Ogwumike had ten points and six rebounds in the first half, on her way to her second consecutive double-double, giving the Sparks their first winning streak of the 2023 WNBA season.

The Sparks began to seize control in the third quarter and led 65-59 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Sparks led 72-61 with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter but Storm battled back, cutting the Sparks lead to 74-71 with 5:15 to go, on a three-point by Jewell Loyd, who led the Storm with 37 points, six rebounds and six assists.

A three-point by Storm guard Jade Melbourne cut the Sparks lead to 86-82 with 1:42 to go. However, the clutch free throws by Ogwumike, who went 11 of 11 from the charity stripe and Canada pushed the Sparks to the 92-85 victory.

Meanwhile, Lexie Brown, who scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half against the Storm, less than 24 hours after tying her career of 26 points on Friday in the Sparks 99-93 overtime win on the road against the Phoenix Mercury, said she appreciated the vote of confidence from Ogwumike, who said the sixth-year guard is in the midst of going from a good to a great WNBA player.

“I’ve never been a player that’s been considered a key piece to a team so to feel that from a player like Nneka, who is so decorated, who is so well respected, who does so much for this league, I couldn’t ask for a better veteran leader to here that from,” Brown shared. “It meant a lot to me and we’re just getting started and I’m glad that I have her by my side.”

Before the game, Sparks head coach Curt Miller shared that he was concerned about how hard the Storm would play, their toughness, and overall athleticism.

“You can’t always define success by wins and losses,” Miller said in a pregame interview. “It’s two teams working really hard for identities right now.”