Minnesota Lynx Upset Los Angeles Sparks In Their Home Opener 87-84
Los Angeles Sparks #30 Nneka Ogwumike (F) layup against the Minnesota Lynx at the Crypto.com Arena. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Los Angeles Sparks fell to (3-2) after a heartbreaking loss in their home opener, 87-84, which gave the Minnesota Lynx (1-4) their first win of the season.
Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks in scoring with 22-points, and eight rebounds, Liz Cambage and Lexie Brown, both with 12-points, Katie Lou Samuelson with 9-points, and Jordan Canada with 8 points.
Kayla McBride was the leading scorer for the Lynx with 24-points, and Sylvia Fowles and Moriah Jefferson both with 20-points.
The Sparks led 12-4 in the first quarter with a hook shot by Nneka Ogwumike. The Lynx were trailing 12-7 after Kayla Mc Bride made a three-point shot. Minnesota tied the game 14-14 with another three-pointer by McBride.
Minnesota Lynx #4 Moriah Jefferson (G) is being defended by Los Angeles Sparks #21 Jordan Canada (G) at the Crypto.com Arena. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportsv1.
The Linx led 15-14 after a free throw by Aerial Powers. Minnesota led 25-19 at the end of the quarter after going on a 10-5 run capped off by Mc Bride's first-quarter 15-points.
The Sparks tied the game 27-27 in the second quarter with a jump shot by Cambage. The Linx led 30-27 with a reverse layup by Fowles. Minnesota would lead 40-31 with a floater by Jefferson with 3:52 left before halftime.
The Sparks trail 40-33 with a putback basket by Ogwumike. Cambage would make a turnaround jump shot that made the score 42-36.
Jordan Canada had the Sparks trailing by three points, 43-40, with her pulling up for a jump shot. The Sparks trail at halftime 46-40.
The Lynx led the Sparks 51-44 in the third quarter, with two free throws made by Fowles. The Sparks had clamped down on defense and came storming back and trail by three points 51-48 with a layup by Canada.
The Sparks got their first lead, 55-53, with a three-pointer by Lexie Brown, but the Lynx would tie the game 55-55 with a layup by Jessica Sheppard. The Sparks led at the end of the quarter, 65-62.
The Linx tied the game 65-65 in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer by Bridget Carleton. The Sparks trial 69-68 after a layup by Jefferson with 8:06 left in the game.
The Sparks would lead 75-73 with a tip-in basket by Ogwumike with 5:09 left in the game. The Lynx would lead by one point, 78-77, with two free throws by Sheppard. Ogwumike would tie the game 78-78 after making one free throw.
With 1:14 left in the game, Minnesota led 82-79 with a tip-in layup by Fowles. Brown had the Sparks' fans standing on their feet after her three-point shot tied the game 82-82 with 53.3 seconds left in the game.
The Lynx would regain the lead 84-82 with a putback layup by Sheppard. Cambage would be fouled on her made shot by Fowles, tied the game 84-84 with 15.1 seconds left in the game, and could have given the sparks a one-point lead, missed her free throw, and the Lynx called a timeout after getting the rebound on the missed shot.
McBride ended the game by making a reverse layup and made her free throw after being fouled on her shot by Brittney Sykes, making the final score 87-84.