The red-hot Storm were a little too much for the shorthanded Sparks
By Clint Mintzer
With Nneka Ogwumike shining against her former team and Gabby Williams setting the Storm franchise record in steals, the shorthanded Sparks—playing without a true point guard—struggled to keep pace.
In the last five matchups between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Seattle Storm, the Sparks have won a total of… zero games.
On a tough night at Crypto.com Arena, the shorthanded Los Angeles Sparks (4–9) came up short against the Seattle Storm (7–5) in a game full of emotion, mistakes, and heart. Missing key players like guard Kelsey Plum and without a true point guard, the Sparks had a hard time taking care of the ball and keeping up with a talented Storm team, losing 98–67.
Before the game even began, the biggest story was forward Nneka Ogwumike’s return to Los Angeles. After playing 12 seasons with the Sparks, being a 2016 MVP and a No. 1 draft pick in 2012, Ogwumike signed with Seattle last offseason. It was a surprising move that shocked the WNBA. She made her return in a big way, scoring 26 points on 12-for-16 shooting and grabbing five rebounds—showing the Sparks exactly what they’re missing.
The Sparks played with great effort and teamwork, but they were almost too unselfish, struggling to find a true scorer. With new guards like Shey Peddy—who signed on Saturday—and Grace Berger—who signed on Tuesday—the lack of experience at guard really showed for the Sparks. They committed 22 turnovers, while Seattle hit 10 threes and scored 31 points off those turnovers.
When asked about the team’s struggles, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts pointed out the obvious issues.
“We need to clean up turnovers and execution in the halfcourt if we want to compete,” Roberts said.
Seattle forward Gabby Williams had an incredible game on defense, finishing with a franchise-record eight steals before leaving the game with a knee injury early in the fourth quarter. Forward Alysha Clark also gave the Storm a boost off the bench with 11 points.
When Storm head coach Noelle Quinn was asked about whether Williams deserves All-Star recognition this year, she had nothing but praise.
“All-Star? I hope so,” Quinn said in Sports Illustrated. “If you look at her numbers and what she's done in her career to what she's doing now, her number one role is to be a world-class French army knife this year. World class is a high-level character person but also what she does on the basketball court—her versatility.”
Despite the final score, the Sparks played with a lot of heart and effort. Players like forwards Rickea Jackson and Dearica Hamby gave it everything they had, but the injuries and lack of experience at guard were too much to overcome. Against a red-hot Seattle team with a balanced lineup and strong defense, the Sparks didn’t have enough.
It was a tough loss for Los Angeles, but a game that highlighted the importance of team chemistry, experience, and ball handling—especially in the WNBA.