Nneka Ogwumike's sensational performance with 23 points and 10 rebounds in her return to Los Angeles powered the Seattle Storm to an 89-83 defeat of the host Sparks on Tuesday. Ogwumike, who played in Los Angeles from her rookie season in 2012 through 2023, also recorded six steals and four assists as the Storm won their third consecutive game. She started Tuesday's matinee matchup slowly with misses on her first three field-goal attempts -- including one blocked by the Sparks' Dearica Hamby. But her 15 second-half points fueled the Storm (17-8) as they gained some separation in what was a tightly contested game throughout. Los Angeles (6-18) has lost three of its last four games after ending an eight-game losing skid on July 5. The Sparks got season-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds from Azura Stevens in just her fourth game back from offseason left-arm surgery. Rae Burrell scored 18 points off the bench, and rookie Rickea Jackson, with 16 points, scored in double figures in six of the Sparks' last seven contests. However, Los Angeles could not withstand the combination of Ogwumike and Jewell Loyd for Seattle. Loyd had game highs of seven assists and 30 points, including 12 points in the fourth quarter. Her performance in the final period helped the Storm go on a difference-making, 11-0 run after a Stevens 3-pointer had given the Sparks a 73-71 lead with 6:29 remaining. Jordan Horston added 14 points and eight rebounds for Seattle, which heads into the Olympics break with wins in four of its last five games. Skylar Diggins-Smith made up for a 2-of-12 day shooting from the floor with five assists and three steals. Hamby scored 15 points for Los Angeles to go with nine rebounds and three assists. Aari McDonald scored eight points and passed for four assists, but she committed a team-high four turnovers in the loss. --Field Level Media
Jul 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; A WIlson official WNBA Evo NXT basketball approaches the rim and the net at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports