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In a thrilling home game Tuesday, Nneka Ogwumike led the Seattle Storm to a decisive 95-79 victory over her former team, the Los Angeles Sparks. The former No. 1 draft pick and eight-time All-Star posted a season-high 26 points, showcasing her skills in front of a crowd of 8,202.
Ogwumike, who spent over a decade with the Sparks, scoring the majority of her 6,000-plus points and earning a league championship and MVP award in 2016, now dons the green jersey of the Storm. Her performance against her former team was a testament to her enduring talent and adaptability.
Despite early foul trouble, Ogwumike’s impact on the game was undeniable. She converted 11 of 15 shots, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots in just under 30 minutes of play.
“She’s ‘Big Shot’ Nneka,” teammate Jewell Loyd said via Percy Allen of The Seattle Times, praising Ogwumike’s ability to make critical plays. “Seriously, she always comes up with big plays and big stops and big blocks … Her shots are so efficient. She makes it look easy and effortless, but it’s all the preparation that goes into it.”
The game began with Ogwumike scoring the first two baskets for the Storm, who quickly established a 13-5 lead. A sequence saw Ezi Magbegor block Cameron Brink’s layup attempt, which led to Ogwumike scoring on a fast break. However, both Ogwumike and Magbegor were limited in the first half due to foul trouble.
Storm maintain momentum against Sparks
Los Angeles cut the deficit to 19-18 after a three-pointer by Dearica Hamby, but Seattle never relinquished the lead, heading into halftime with a 48-42 advantage. The Sparks outscored the Storm 19-18 in the third quarter, but a buzzer-beating layup by Ogwumike helped Seattle maintain momentum.
In the fourth quarter, with the Storm leading 74-69 and the Sparks threatening to gain control, Ogwumike drained a crucial three-pointer to beat the shot clock, extending the lead to 79-70.
“I want to play like that every night, and my teammates give me that confidence,” Ogwumike said. “I just really want us to have that G-mentality.”
“She looks great in green … It’s great to have (her) on our side … She presents a mismatch in that she’s very athletic. If you put a bigger forward on her, she can blow by them. She’s gotten better every single year. She worked on her handle, and now her three-ball is effective,” Storm coach Noelle Quinn said. “When she’s aggressive, she’s efficient. I know the shots she’s going to take are going to be good shots. I know she’s going to make a ton of those.”
Ogwumike’s dominant performance was complemented by Skylar Diggins-Smith, who added 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Loyd, who contributed 21 points and six rebounds.
The Storm's decisive 21-10 run in the final minutes, highlighted by Ogwumike’s three-pointer and key plays from Diggins-Smith and Loyd, sealed the win.
The win improved Seattle’s record to 8-4, with the team winning seven of its last eight games. The Sparks, meanwhile, fell to 4-8. With one Commissioner’s Cup game remaining, the Storm moved into a second-place tie with the Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference standings.
Seattle’s next challenge is a three-game road trip starting Thursday at Dallas, followed by stops in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
