Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Sparks sent The Chicago Sky back to the Midwest on a hot wind with a loss. The Sparks pulled off a tough win over the Sky 76 to 64.
Going into this afternoon game Nneka Ogwumike is currently ranked 6th in the league for average points per game and Jantel Lavender is ranked 3rd for average rebounds per game. And today the Sky made them prove it.
There was a large crowd on hand to witness the clash of the titans at the Staple Center. The heat was on and it all wasn’t coming from the California sunshine. The Sky had something to prove seeing how the Sparks served them up losses on their last two meetings. The Sky came out with their energy turned up. All though the score was tight in the 1st quarter 19 Sparks and the Sky 20, they were all earned with sweat equity. The lead changed hands 4 times in this quarter alone, between the Sky’s ability to get those second chance points and Candice Parker ‘s 7 points. This game was an absolute nail bitter.
The 2nd quarter was all about being at the edge of your seat, with the Sky’s Elena Delle Donne blocking anything and everything going her way, and Jamierra Faulkner throwing up jump shots like confetti made the Sparks sweat a little. The Sparks Kristi Toliver rained on the Sky with her 3 point jump shots and sniper accurate passes. Candice Parker reached in her sack of tricks with her driving lay-up chasers. The crowd went wild!
The 2nd half revealed that there was no clear winner yet. Both teams really brought it. The rebounding, blocking, scrambling for the loose balls, these two teams battled it out to the end. The Sparks were finally able to get the upper hand by slowing the ball down and finding a work around for the Sky’s defense.
The Sparks closed the game out with four players in double digits Ogwumike, Parker, Lavender, Toliver and two And-1 one opportunities to send the Chicago Sky back home with one more loss. Chicago has one more meeting with Los Angeles to avenge these losses. I can’t wait… I love a good gladiator show down.
