Sparks can’t keep pace late in game, fall to Nneka Ogwumike and Storm
When asked after Tuesday’s game how she would rate the Sparks’ season, Azura Stevens immediately answered “D+” before quickly switching to a “C+” in a fit of laughter after Rickea Jackson gave her a shocked expression.
“I meant a C+,” Stevens said as the media room joined in the light-hearted laughter. “That’s because of the record and because we’ve had injuries, but a lot of these games have been within our control so we are trending in the right direction. At the end of the year it will be an A.”
Despite Azura Stevens helping the Sparks catch up to the Storm with 17 second-half points, the Sparks couldn’t overcome Seattle’s late push in the fourth quarter to fall 89-83 at Crypto.com Arena.
While the Sparks are going into the Olympic break with a 6-18 record, there’s still much to be proud of for the young team that is seeing growth.
Veteran Sparks guard Lexie Brown, sidelined since June with Crohn’s disease, filled in as color commentator during the TV broadcast of a Sparks game last week.
“I talked to the team about how proud I am of our growth, proud of our play and while it’s not always equating into wins we’ve come a long way since May basketball with a very young team,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “We’ve kept it a bit vanilla since we are so young but you’re seeing growth where we can throw more at them.”
Coming off a 41-37 first half lead, the Storm quickly took charge to build a game-high 12-point lead in the third quarter. But a rally by the Sparks late in the third quarter whittled the gap to three heading into the fourth.
Stevens led the Sparks with 24 points and 15 rebounds while Rae Burrell added a career-high-tying 18 points.
Burrell’s performance off the bench was the boost they needed. After a knee injury in 2022 limited her to three games as a rookie, Burrell has seen improvement in her game.
“Rae is full of energy and life,” Jackson said. “She’s a jokester but also one of those glue people for our team. She works so hard and puts in the work everyday. To see her reap the benefits of all her hard work has been awesome to see. I am so happy for her and proud of her.”
Jewell Lloyd led the Storm with 30 points, six rebounds and seven assists while Nneka Ogwumike contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds and six steals.
The Sparks shot 28 for 69 from the field while Seattle was 31 for 68.
Tuesday’s game saw the return of Ogwumike, a former Sparks star who left the club in free agency, signing a one-year contract with the Storm.
Despite being in a different uniform, Ogwumike’s return to Los Angeles meant a lot Miller, whose decision to take the job — after previously serving as an assistant coach in 2015 — was largely because of Ogwumike.
“Nneka and the whole Ogwumike family have been a big part of my WNBA journey,” Miller said. “When I got a start in this league with the Sparks in 2015, one of the special first-year opportunities for me was that loaded Sparks team that included [Ogwumike]. She was a big part of that first year and why I have such an appreciation for this franchise. I wanted the opportunity to build with her coming back here. She deserves an unbelievable welcome back.”
After a layup by the Storm’s Skyler Diggens-Smith opened the game, the Sparks struggled to get on the board until a basket by Dearica Hamby more than four minutes into the first quarter. The Sparks found some momentum and closed the gap to 19-17 by the end of the first quarter.
It was a big first half for Burrell, who gave the Sparks their first lead with an early three-pointer in the second quarter and would go on to lead the team with 12 of her 18 points in the first half.
Despite efforts by Burrell and Rickea Jackson, who notched 10 points and three rebounds in the first half, a shot by Ogwumike with 1:32 left in the half gave the Storm back the lead. Stevens stopped the run with a three-pointer to end the half at a 41-37 deficit.
The Sparks return to action Aug. 15 against the New York Liberty at Crypto.com Arena after a break for the WNBA All-Star Game at the Paris Olympics.
In the meantime, four Sparks will begin preparation for the 2024 Olympics, including Hamby, who will play for the U.S. 3x3 team. While packing is the focus for Hamby after Tuesday’s game, she will start Olympic preparations with a Thursday practice.
“That’s the focus right now, but it will really start to set in soon,” Hamby said. “This year has been one of my best and while obviously you want to win championships this year means a lot to me because it was very intentional, I set goals for myself and I’m reaching them.”
The team’s other Olympians are Stephanie Talbot, who will play for Austrailia, Kia Nurse, who will play for Canada, and Miller, who will serve as a scout for the U.S. women’s team.
