Sparks Lose the Game, Not the Fight
The Fight Was There. The Execution Wasn't.
The Los Angeles Sparks dropped their Commissioner's Cup opener to the Las Vegas Aces 79-69 Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, falling to 4-5 on the season despite a career night from Rae Burrell and a historic performance from Nneka Ogwumike.
The effort wasn't the issue. The offense was.
LA shot 30.8% from the field and 26.1% from three numbers that make it nearly impossible to beat anyone, let alone the Aces. The Sparks got to the line and converted (85.2%, 23-of-27), but it wasn't enough to overcome the cold shooting everywhere else.
Ogwumike said it plainly after the game: "The fight was there, but we have to give that fight some type of framework."
Rae Burrell Went Off
On a night where most of the offense went quiet, Rae Burrell was the exception. She dropped a career-high 22 points on 57.1% shooting, going 8 of 14 from the field, 2 of 4 from three, and 4-of-6 from the line. She had 11 of those in the first half alone.
Burrell has been showing out. This was the performance of someone who belongs in a bigger role and she made that case emphatically Tuesday night.
Nneka Made History (Again)
While the team struggled, Nneka Ogwumike quietly put together one of the more significant nights of her career. She finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists her 118th career double-double, sixth most in WNBA history.
But the milestones go deeper than the box score. In the first quarter, Ogwumike passed Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings for fifth on the WNBA's all-time rebounding list. She also became just the third player in Sparks franchise history to record 2,000 defensive rebounds with the team, joining Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker. That's the company Nneka Ogwumike keeps.
Cameron Brink, Also Making History
Brink finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists and recorded the 75th block of her career, tying Elena Delle Donne as the 12th-fastest player in WNBA history to reach that milestone. She did it in just 43 games.
She was one of the few bright spots in the fourth quarter, going a perfect 2 of 2 from the field and knocking down a three to tie Burrell for the team high with 5 points in the final frame.
How It Unfolded
LA actually held their own early. The Sparks kept it competitive in the first quarter three lead changes, two ties, and they held Vegas to just 14 points, the fewest the Aces had scored in a first quarter all season.
Then the second quarter happened. The Aces went on a 24-8 run and pushed the lead to 15. LA responded with a 10-0 run to claw back, but they couldn't sustain it. The Sparks went into halftime down 37-30, still in the game but the third quarter unraveled things. Vegas went on a 14-4 run and made it 57-42, and LA never fully recovered.
They did outplay the Aces in the fourth, 18-15, and held Las Vegas to just 16.7% from three in the final period. But by then, the deficit was too steep.
The Bottom Line
The Sparks aren't lacking for effort or individual talent Tuesday night proved that. But as Ogwumike put it, the fight needs a framework. Shooting 30% from the field while your stars are putting up historic numbers shouldn't be the story. Fixing the offensive structure is the next step.
Despite the loss, LA raised $1,000 for Brotherhood Crusade through Commissioner's Cup play.
Up Next
The Sparks are back at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night to take on the Dallas Wings at 7 p.m. PT.