Los Angeles, CA – For the better part of the first half Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Sparks looked like they might be able to weather the Seattle Storm. They knocked down early threes, scrapped for second-chance points, and even led midway through the opening quarter. But as the game wore on, the difference in chemistry, continuity, and cohesion between the two teams became impossible to ignore.
Seattle pulled away in the second half and never looked back, turning a competitive first 20 minutes into a 98–67 rout. The Sparks dropped to 4–9 on the season, playing without all three of their lead guards—Kelsey Plum (injury), Odyssey Sims (personal reasons), and Julie Allemand (inactive). The lack of floor leadership showed, especially once the Storm found their rhythm.
Nneka Ogwumike led the way for Seattle with 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting. Gabby Williams was everywhere: 11 points, 7 assists, and a franchise-record 8 steals before exiting in the fourth quarter with an ankle sprain. The Storm improved to 7–5 and looked like a team starting to click at the right time.
Sparks Start Hot, But Storm Regain Control
The Sparks opened the game playing free and aggressive. Rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker hit an early three, Shey Peddy added one of her own, and Azurá Stevens cleaned up the glass for second-chance points. When Barker nailed another corner three off a turnover, L.A. had an 11–6 lead and early momentum.
But after the first timeout, Seattle punched back. The Storm forced three consecutive turnovers and turned each into points, flipping the game’s energy and pace. Ogwumike established her dominance in the post while Williams pushed in transition. The quarter ended with Seattle on a 20–8 run and up 26–19.
Without key ball handlers, the Sparks began to labor through their offensive sets. Despite a few putbacks from Stevens and Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles struggled to find rhythm as the quarter wore on.
A Second-Quarter Push Offers Hope
Early in the second, the Sparks showed signs of life. Stevens opened with a coast-to-coast and-one, Peddy got to the line, and Liatu King added two free throws following a flagrant foul. When Rickea Jackson and Barker each hit from deep, L.A. had cut the deficit to two.
But Seattle’s discipline was unshaken. Williams buried a catch-and-shoot three. Skylar Diggins-Smith responded to a Sparks triple with one of her own. Seattle’s offense remained crisp, while the Sparks’ ball movement slowly faded.
By halftime, the Storm led 47–37. Given the circumstances, it could’ve been worse. But the edge had clearly shifted.
Third Quarter Collapse
Seattle opened the third with a layup plus the foul from Ogwumike, and the dam started to break. A Williams block turned into an easy layup on the other end. A missed layup by the Sparks became a wide-open corner three for Alysha Clark. The Storm’s lead ballooned from 10 to 20 in a matter of minutes.
Los Angeles did what it could to stay competitive. Rickea Jackson battled her way to multiple trips to the free-throw line—one of the few areas where the Sparks held a statistical edge. But even that may have been less a sign of offensive dominance and more a reflection of their lack of aggression on the other end. Defensively, L.A. was repeatedly exposed as Seattle’s ball movement exploited every missed rotation. Clark buried another three off a skip pass, and Dominique Malonga added a soft post floater. By the end of the third: 75–53, Seattle.
Head Coach Lynne Roberts, who had three hardship signings on the floor at one point, acknowledged the mismatch after the game:
“That starting group—they’re all vets. And we had three hardship players on the floor at one point. There’s a reality to that, and that’s not an excuse. We need to be better, but you’ve got to give Seattle some credit.”
Sparks Fans Stay Until the End
Even down by 30, the Crypto.com Arena crowd stayed present. Rookie Sania Feagin brought fans to their feet with a huge block. Barker hit another triple late. King and Jackson chipped in with hustle buckets. The energy in the building never fully left.
In a game where the scoreboard was lopsided, the fans clearly showed up for more than just the result—staying the full 40 minutes for the joy of it all. They thoroughly embraced the full WNBA experience: free t-shirts, the kiss cam, music breaks, celebrity sightings, and everything in between.
Postgame: Teaching Moments and Perspective
After the game, Roberts didn’t dwell on the margin. Instead, she focused on what the team could take away.
“You want to be great, you’ve got to be able to execute what you’re trying to get,” she said. “I think [Seattle is] very deliberate with that… That’s what our young players and our whole team can learn from.”
She also pointed to the developmental value of these difficult stretches. “We’re going to gain [from this]—players like Sarah, Liatu… players that are having to play maybe more than we thought coming in, they’re going to have that experience. That’s going to make us better.”
Stevens, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, echoed that mindset: “Not everything was a loss tonight. There are still things we can build from.”
Barker, who hit four threes and had her best scoring game yet as a pro, credited Kelsey Plum for giving her the confidence to let it fly. “She was just like, ‘Hey, they’re going under you—just shoot the ball.’ Then I hit that three and she smiled at me,” Barker said.
She also acknowledged that she can be hard on herself, especially after missed opportunities. “Obviously I want to finish at the rim better,” she said. “But K.P. looked at me and was like, ‘You’re not intentionally going in to miss—don’t be mad at yourself.’ That helped.”
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t all about effort. The Sparks fought. But execution wins games, and Seattle had it. The Storm looked connected, experienced, and unbothered by any push the Sparks made. Los Angeles looked like a team still figuring out who can run the offense and who can steady the ship.
As Roberts summed up: “You can’t panic. You can’t freak out. You have to maintain perspective.”
Seattle improves to 7–5. The Sparks fall to 4–9 and continue their search for rhythm—and a healthy roster.
Final Stats Highlights
Seattle Storm:
- Field Goal %: 52.0% (39-75)
- 3PT %: 43.3% (13-30)
- Turnovers: 10
- Assists: 29
- Points off turnovers: 31
Los Angeles Sparks:
- Field Goal %: 32.8% (21-64)
- 3PT %: 27.3% (6-22)
- Turnovers: 22
- Assists: 14
Top Performers
- Nneka Ogwumike (SEA): 26 pts (12-16 FG), +31
- Gabby Williams (SEA): 11 pts, 7 ast, 8 stl, +34
- Skylar Diggins-Smith (SEA): 15 pts, 7 ast, +game-high +35
- Erica Wheeler (SEA): 15 pts (3-5 3PT), 2 ast, +9
- Rickea Jackson (LA): 17 pts, 8-8 FT
- Azurá Stevens (LA): 16 pts, 10 reb
- Sarah Ashlee Barker (LA): 12 pts, 4-5 3PT
The Stat That Tells the Story
Assist-to-turnover ratio:
- Seattle: 29 assists to 10 turnovers → 2.9 to 1
- Los Angeles: 14 assists to 22 turnovers → 0.64 to 1
That contrast tells you everything you need to know. Seattle shared the ball with purpose, creating rhythm, spacing, and open looks throughout the night. The Sparks, meanwhile, struggled to string together clean possessions—often relying on one-on-one play and finding themselves rushed, out of sync, or simply outmatched by Seattle’s veteran rotations.
Ben, Chief Editor and Business Consultant at WCSM, is also the Chief Creative Officer at two multi-million-dollar businesses, where he has driven growth and innovation. A summa cum laude graduate with degrees in Statistics and Business Computer Information Systems, Ben has helped small businesses double their revenue, launched YouTube channels with over 50K followers, and created websites for high-profile clients in TV and film. His expertise spans content creation, video production, advertising, analytics, web design, and data analysis. Ben is eager to bring his skills to WCSM, turning their vision into impactful realities while fostering sustainable growth.