LOS ANGELES—Nneka Ogwumike’s sensational performance with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a homecoming game powered the Seattle Storm to an 89–83 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.
Ogwumike, a former Stanford star who played for the Sparks from her rookie WNBA season in 2012 through 2023, also recorded six steals and four assists as the Storm won its third consecutive game.
Ogwumike started the matinee matchup slowly, with misses on her first three field-goal attempts—including one that was blocked by the Sparks’ Dearica Hamby. But Ogwumike’s 15 second-half points fueled the Storm (17–8) as they gained some separation in a tightly contested game.
Los Angeles (6–18) has lost three of its past four games after having ended 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 for the sixth time in the Sparks’ past seven contests. Los Angeles, however, could not withstand the combination of Ogwumike and Seattle teammate Jewell Loyd.
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 Olympic break with wins in four of its past five games. Skylar Diggins-Smith made up for a 2-of-12 day shooting 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 had four assists but committed a team-high four turnovers.
