Storm blow big lead, still come away with win vs. Sparks

Field Level Media|published: 09/15/2024, 8:52pm EDT

Jul 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detailed view of Wilson official WNBA Evo NXT basketball at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nneka Ogwumike scored 23 points, Gabby Williams added a season-high 22 and Skylar Diggins-Smith fueled a late-game push as the Seattle Storm rallied for a 90-87 win over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday after coughing up a 16-point lead.

Seattle (24-14) extended its winning streak to four games and stayed within a game of Las Vegas for the No. 4 seed in the upcoming WNBA playoffs. The Aces are set to visit the Storm on Tuesday.

Sunday's victory was not easy for Seattle, however, as last-place Los Angeles (7-31) battled in the second half to take a lead late in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by 16 points in the third, the Sparks steadily chipped away at their deficit as they went into the final period. Dearica Hamby led Los Angeles' charge, supplying 25 points and 11 rebounds on the night -- her first double-double since Aug. 18.

Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson continued her standout play with 22 points, while Odyssey Sims went for 20 points, five assists and four steals. Sims sandwiched her last steal of the game with a pair of layups, the first of which tied the contest at 79-all. She then pushed Los Angeles ahead, 81-79, with 3:39 to play in the fourth quarter.

A Jordan Horston 3-pointer gave Seattle the lead again, but Jackson answered immediately to make it 83-82 Los Angeles. The two teams traded leads three more times down the stretch, with the Storm pulling ahead for good thanks to Diggins-Smith's free-throw shooting.

Diggins-Smith went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line on the night, making six foul shots in the final 1:53. She sealed the win with the last of her three steals, picking off a Rae Burrell pass in the closing seconds.

Mercedes Russell added another three steals for Seattle, while Ogwumike had two and Williams came up with a game-high-tying four.

Seattle played without Jewell Loyd (knee) and Ezi Magbegor (concussion).

Ogwumike and Williams combined for 27 points in the first half to lift the Storm to a 52-38 lead at the break.

--Field Level Media