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Sparks erase 17-point deficit, edge Wings to end 3-game slide

June 24, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Nneka Ogwumike scored a team-high 20 points, Destanni Henderson had a season-high 18 points off the bench and the Sparks rallied from 17 points down to beat the Dallas Wings, 76-74, on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

“I felt great,” Henderson said. “I feel like once I started getting in the flow of things, just attacking and finding my teammates. Just trying to stay focused when I’m going to the rim. I felt like it just pumped me up and I stayed focused the whole game.”

“Perseverance,” said Sparks head coach Curt Miller when asked about the comeback win. “I think our togetherness showed. I really challenged them late. They willed themselves to the finish line. Again, we’ve had a couple of games in a row where we did score in the last three minutes. We’ve talked about it. We’re not afraid of having that uncomfortable conversation that we needed to step up and make plays in winning time and I thought they hung together and made plays.”

LA Sparks head coach Curt Miller on Destanni Henderson’s 18 points off the bench and how the Sparks were able to erase a 17-point deficit to beat the Dallas Wings, 76-74 at @cryptocomarena Friday Night. @CurtMillerWBB @LASparks #WNBA #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/Aj4ei8at0J

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 24, 2023

The Sparks took their first lead with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter on a pair of free throws by Chiney Ogwumike.

“Just grit, tenacity, toughness, togetherness,” Ogwumike said. “I think our team was very connected and we were just having fun. I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we’re the LA Sparks and we know people expect wins, ourselves included and we felt that the last few games and this game the goal was to go in there and three words, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. So we were enjoying the grind. We knew that there were going to come out strong because of how the last game went and so for us when the going got tough, I told the team, tough times don’t last but tough people do.”

Dallas went back ahead on a pair of free throws by Natasha Howard with 1:49 left, but Sparks guard Jordin Canada answered with a floater to tie the score on the ensuing possession.

“(It took) grit, passion, being competitive,” Canada shared when asked what it took to overcome a 17-point deficit. “Coach warned us that they were going to come out ready to play because of how we played in Dallas (during a 79-61 road win on June 14). They punched us first and so we had to have the mentality to take it possession by possession and set goals for ourselves, throughout the quarter and throughout the game to get three stops in a row and push the ball as much as possible. But at the end of the day, it got really physical and it came down to who wanted it more and who had the most grit and I think we showed that (Friday night).”

Destanni Henderson on dropping 18 points off the bench in the LA Sparks 76-74 comeback win vs. the Dallas Wings. Jordin Canada explains what it took to erase a 17-point deficit and win this game. @dh3nny @jordin_canada #LASparks #WNBA pic.twitter.com/rq6BOEmKit

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 24, 2023

Canada, who finished with 18 points, six assists and three steals, then made two free throws with 54.1 seconds left for a 76-74 lead and the Wings had a shot-clock violation at the other end for their 18th turnover. Canada had a jumper rattle out and Dallas secured the rebound and raced the other way, but Crystal Dangerfield’s runner at the buzzer did not hit the rim.

Nneka Ogwumike scored 14 of her 20 in the second half and finished 9 for 18 from the field to go with seven rebounds and three steals as the Sparks (6-7) snapped their three-game losing streak.

The Sparks missed their first 10 3-point attempts and finished 2 for 18 from long range, but they made 22 of 25 free throws compared to 13 for 17 for Dallas. Canada was 8 for 8 from the foul line and added three steals.

Natasha Howard had 23 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas (6-7). Arike Ogunbowale scored 12 of her 16 points in the first quarter and Satou Sabally had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Ogunbowale’s strong start helped Dallas build a 27-10 lead, but Henderson, who is with the Sparks on a temporary hardship contract, responded by scoring 10 pivotal points over the next 11 minutes, which included two three-point plays and a buzzer-beating layup, to cut Dallas’ lead to 42-33 at halftime.

The Sparks continued battling back in the third quarter. Chiney Ogwumike tied the score at 58 with a three-point play with 14.9 seconds left in the third quarter, but a buzzer-beating layup by Dallas center Teaira McCowan gave the Wings a 60-58 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Sabally started the fourth quarter on a personal 5-0 run as Dallas built the margin back to 65-58 with 8:14 remaining, but the Sparks chipped away. Henderson’s corner 3-pointer tied the score at 67 with 4:56 left. The game remained tight, then Chiney Ogwumike’s free throws finally gave the Sparks the lead.

The Sparks, who have lost several tight games by being outplayed in the final minutes, are in the midst of playing six games in a 12-day span. Coach Curt Miller knew his team was going to have to match Dallas’ intensity, and while the early deficit was not helpful, he had to appreciate the poise his team showed down the stretch.

“We have to put ourselves in a position to be there in the end and keep using these learning opportunities to get to the finish line,” Miller said before the game. “We cannot feel sorry for ourselves through our illnesses and injuries. We’ve got to be ready to compete and I just want to keep putting ourselves back in positions in the fourth quarter to keep working with this group, finding ways to get to the finish line.”

LA Sparks head coach Curt Miller on the importance of closing out games in the fourth quarter. Miller said there’s no time for the Sparks to feel sorry for themselves because of recent illnesses and injuries. @CurtMillerWBB #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/QpNuxP7pMv

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 24, 2023

Henderson’s second three-point play of the night cut the Wings’ lead to 31-19 with 7:38 left in the second quarter. The 5-foot-7 second-year guard out of South Carolina followed that with a steal and a fast-break layup to make it 31-21.

Sparks forward Azurá Stevens made her team’s only 3-pointer of the first half, when the Sparks shot 35% from the field, but Sparks forward Karlie Samuelson said beforehand that closing out the game would be a point of emphasis.

“That’s something that we need to learn how to do better,” Samuelson said. “Obviously, we’ve had some close games so I think just staying together like (Jasmine Thomas) said.”

“(We have to take it) one possession at a time,” veteran point guard Jasmine Thomas added. “When it comes down to time and score at the end of the game, you can get overwhelmed with the result. You want to win. You want to finish it, instead of focusing on the small details of each possession that gets you there to the finish line.”

Sparks veterans Jasmine Thomas and Karlie Samuelson on the importance of being able to close out Friday’s game against the Dallas Wings. pic.twitter.com/laOHQph70D

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 24, 2023

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