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After a brutal loss to the Chicago Sky earlier this week, the L.A. Sparks found some confidence against the Seattle Storm in a 70-56 win at KeyArena tonight.
In a season in which the Sparks have struggled to find consistency on either end of the ball, encountering a Storm team playing without their starting forward or their shooting touch was exactly what they needed to get a win.
Camille Little lost her grandfather. Expected return for Saturday's game vs Chicago at KeyArena. Thursday 1st missed game since 2011 #WNBA
— Jayda Evans (@JaydaEvans) July 4, 2014
With Camille Little missing the game for personal reasons, Sparks forwards Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker had a field day. Ogwumike had a game-high 21 points on 10-for-16 shooting on a combination of pick-and-pops, spot ups, and post moves. Parker complemented Ogwumike with a team-high 10 rebounds and 17 points, showcasing the full array of indefensible moves that have helped elevate her to superstardom.
And unfortunately, the Storm didn't help themselves much offensively, shooting just 39.7% from the field and committing 18 turnovers in a slow-paced game.
The Storm went more than five minutes without a field goal across the second and third quarters, allowing the Sparks to go on a 14-0 run en route to mounting a 27-point lead halfway through the third quarter. Their scoring drought was compounded by their inability to help Crystal Langhorne offensively throughout the game.
Langhorne scored a team-high 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting in addition to a team-high 8 rebounds, but the rest of the team shot 14-for-43 (32.25%) from the field. The Sparks probably deserve some credit for their defense given the numbers, but the Storm missed a number of good looks both in the paint and from the perimeter. Star Sue Bird took just four shots in a quiet two point effort.
The Sparks now have a few days off before facing the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. The Storm meanwhile will face off against the Chicago Sky on Saturday.