Los Angeles, CA – Do not let the box score fool you. The Los Angeles Sparks 84-77 loss to the Minnesota Lynx was not closer than the box score would suggest. Yes, Los Angeles had spurts that made the game intriguing, but this game saw the Sparks fall behind by 20 points during the game.
The lone person Los Angeles can depend on showing up, night in, and night out, is Nneka Ogwumike. She scored 23 points and five rebounds were the lone bright spot against the Lynx.
After Liz Cambage abruptly walked out of the locker room and away from the team, Cambage took the expectations of this team making the playoffs. This team, if not this franchise, is in disarray. If by some miracle they make it to the playoffs, whomever they face in the first round will be a big challenge for them.
As the questionable detention of Brittney Griner has overshadowed the season, Ogwumike will probably head on a plane to Russia when the season ends to play to earn a living that her meager American salary does not support.
Ogwumike has watched future Hall-of-Fame players Candance Parker and Chelsea Gray depart for greener pastures in recent years and now is the lone cornerstone of the struggling franchise as of late.
Long gone is the Sparks’ first-round pick, and so is the general manager and head coach Derek Fisher that packaged it for guard Chennedy Carter. If Fred Williams is not the long-term solution as head coach. What becomes of Ogwumike?
Does Los Angeles bring in someone like Michael Cooper or Lisa Leslie to lead this franchise and establish a missing culture, or will Ogwumike watch her remaining years in the WNBA squandered? She deserves more than this roster. But unfortunately, no one can consistently alleviate the nightly pressures she faces. This team still searching for it’s identity and direction, and Nneka Ogwumike deserves more.
