Shavonte Zellous guards Maria Vadeeva. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Los Angeles – Candace Parker ignited for a season-high 21 points Sunday to lead the Los Angeles Sparks over the Seattle Storm, 83-75.
Four other Sparks players scored in double figures, including sophomore center Maria Vadeeva, who came off the bench for 14 points. Nneka Ogwumike had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Chelsea Gray, 10 points and eight assists, on a 52.5 percent shooting night for the team, which has now won three straight.
Both squads traded buckets in the first quarter, but a 16-4 Los Angeles run in the second gave them a 12-point lead. Seattle opened the third period with 1-8 shooting, giving their opponents a 17-point lead. Vadeeva scored four straight baskets to end the frame.
The Storm fought back in the fourth quarter after two three-point shots from reserve Sami Whitcomb, who had 16 on the night. Sparks rookie Marina Mabrey scored all 10 of her points in the period, which countered Seattle’s 9-0 run in the last three minutes.
Alysha Clark also scored 16 points for the Storm, who shot 43 percent on the day and went to the free throw line only six times, while their opponents were 13-15 from the stripe.
Los Angeles coach Derek Fisher credited his team for their offensive steadiness.
“We have talked about this Seattle team and how good they are with forcing turnovers,” he said. “We talked about having the patience and discipline not to squeeze off the first shot they see if it’s an average shot. As a group, they made a collective effort to make sure that they passed up a decent shot for a better one.”
Ogwumike said the Sparks, who have had changing lineups due to injuries this season, said she and her teammates got into a flow.
“I think that we played really well in transition,” Ogwumike said. “I would say it was a good transition offensive game, and the assists of course come with having Chelsea as a point guard, but also [from] us moving our bodies, us moving the ball, and us understanding each other.”
Storm forward Natasha Howard, who scored 13 points, saw her time on the floor limited as she picked up her third foul early in the second quarter. Coach Dan Hughes said that was one factor in the loss.
“We had to sit her most of, if not all of, the third quarter. That hurt us a little bit and they were able to separate,” he said. “You look and see that we outscored them in the second half, but they’re going in outscoring us by three and then we go back and forth, but then they separated in the second quarter.”
Seattle point guard Jordin Canada said they couldn’t overcome a slow start.
“We weren’t as sharp as we normally are, but we came out of the gate on the wrong foot,” she said. “When you play a team like this you have to bring it all four quarters. I’m proud with how we bounced back in the second half overall, but that first half really hurt us.”
The Storm have lost three consecutive games.
Nneka Ogwumike. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Alysha Clark, Jordin Canada, Blake Dietrick. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada, Alysha Clark. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Shavonte Zellous, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Alysha Clark. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sami Whitcomb, Mercedes Russell, Alysha Clark. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Blake Dietrick, Natasha Howard. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike and fans. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sparks huddle. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray, Mercedes Russell. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray, Mercedes Russell, Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Mercedes Russell, Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jewell Loyd tries to score. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Mercedes Russell helps Jewell Loyd up. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jewell Loyd guarded by Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Mercedes Russell. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada looks at the ref for a foul call. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray, Alysha Clark. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Alysha Clark, Chelsea Gray. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Alana Beard, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and Sparks coaches. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sydney Wiese. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Kalani Brown, Courtney Paris. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sami Whitcomb. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Maria Vadeeva, Mercedes Russell. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Mercedes Russell. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray, Natasha Howard. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray gets a hand up. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Coach Derek Fisher, Sydney Wiese, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sami Whitcomb, Sydney Wiese. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Shavonte Zellous. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Crystal Langhorne. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sparks huddle. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Alysha Clark guards Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Marina Mabrey, Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada, Marina Mabrey. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Storm huddle. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sydney Wiese, Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jewell Loyd. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jewell Loyd. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker, Mercedes Russell. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike, Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker, Alysha Clark, Mercedes Russell. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray looks for a pass. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker, Natasha Howard. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Behind-the-back pass from Chelsea Gray to Nneka Ogwumike. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike collects the pass. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike looks for the next pass. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike passes to Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Natasha Howard, Maria Vadeeva. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jordin Canada comes out of the game. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike, Natasha Howard. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Maria Vadeeva, Natasha Howard. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Natasha Howard shoots over Maria Vadeeva. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike rebounds. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Sami Whitcomb, Natasha Howard, Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Shavonte Zellous, Marina Mabrey. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Kalani Brown, Sami Whitcomb. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Jewell Loyd, Marina Mabrey. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Marina Mabrey, Jewell Loyd. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Maria Vadeeva. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Kalani Brown. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Candace Parker grabs the rebound. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Chelsea Gray. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Natasha Howard, Candace Parker. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
Nneka Owumike, Natasha Howard. Maria Noble/WomensHoopsWorld
