The Los Angeles Sparks first away game of the 2021 WNBA season ended in a 97-69 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Chiney Ogwumike added 11 points and five rebounds, while Kristi Toliver added nine points and five assists.

Although the game ended in a loss, the Sparks had multiple personal milestones reached. Kristi Toliver passed Mwadi Mabika for 4th place in Spark’s history for assists. Nneka Ogwumike hit 500 rebounds and became the 10th player in WNBA history with 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds, 500 assists, and 400 steals.

Toliver opened up the game with a 25-foot step-back three-pointer to give the Sparks the first lead of the game. The Sparks again got out to a fast start and led 18-16. The Aces responded with a 9-0 run against the Sparks second unit to go up 25-18, and the Sparks finished the first quarter down 25-20.

Although the team started the game off with momentum, during the second quarter Las Vegas took control of the game using their size to their advantage, starting the quarter on a 7-0 run. The Sparks were missing center Amanda Zahui B. for the second consecutive game due to a back injury and lost forward Jasmine Walker to a knee injury in the second quarter- she would not return.

More than halfway through the second quarter, a Liz Cambage three-point play gave the Aces a 21-point lead. At the half, the Sparks found themselves down 56-36, with the Aces shooting 56% from the field. Hamby led the Aces with 13 points, while Toliver and Nneka Ogwumike had 9 apiece.

The Aces hot streak continued in the second half, scoring 20 points in the third and continuing to shoot at over 50% from the field. A 10-point quarter from Nneka Ogwumike helped the Sparks keep pace in the third quarter along with two three-pointers from Te’a Cooper, but LA ended the third quarter down 76-54.

The Sparks were not able to recover and were outscored 21-15 in the fourth. The Aces had five players in double-digits: Chelsea Gray (18), A’ja Wilson (17), Jackie Young (17), Dearica Hamby (17), and Liz Cambage (11). They finished the game scoring 53% from the floor.

“We are deep in the process. And we have to understand that it’s okay to be in that space, but also not get hung up on frustrations. We need to use that to fuel each other to be better together”, said Nneka Ogwumike.

The Sparks look to bounce back and get their first win of the season on Friday, May 28 at 5 p.m. PT against the Chicago Sky on the road.