Nneka Ogwumike’s ‘ultimate’ reaction passing Lisa Leslie in franchise history, with a twist appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Sparks current win streak hit three games following their 92-87 victory against the Washington Mystics on Friday, and it came with a special significance as Nneka Ogwumike set the team record for most made shots, surpassing franchise legend Lisa Leslie in the process.
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With Kelsey Plum sidelined due to an ankle injury, Nneka Ogwumike put the Sparks on her back with her history-making performance, finishing with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. She also added two assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Her final field goal of the game came late in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes remaining, a 3-pointer as the Sparks broke an 81-81 tie to take firm control of the game. Afterwards during the postgame press conference, Ogwumike spoke about what it meant to surpass Lisa Leslie for the franchise honor, while perhaps foreshadowing things to come.
“Lisa is ultimate company. And being a part of this organization has always been about legacy, so I’m grateful to just be even mentioned amongst greats like Lisa,” Ogwumike said.
“But then also to be able to play with someone who’s probably going to pass my record in the years to come in Cam [Brink]. It’s all about honoring that legacy and nurturing it as well. So I’m just happy to be doing it in Sparks jersey.”
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This is Ogwumike’s second stint with the Sparks after a brief two-year hiatus during which she played for the Seattle Storm. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, the former Stanford star played the first 12 years of her career with the Sparks.
She was the 2012 Rookie of the Year and the 2016 league MVP, the same season she helped lead the Sparks to their first championship since Leslie’s retirement. A 10-time All-Star and counting, Ogwumike has been named to eight All-WNBA teams in her illustrious career to date, and seven All-Defensive teams.
As decorated as her career has been, Ogwumike stands in rarefied air being as selfless of a superstar as she can be. Regarding her go-ahead 3-point shot against the Mystics, she made sure to credit both the coaching staff for drawing up the play and Dearica Hamby for setting the screen to free her up.
“That was great execution. I think that’s something we’ve really been working on, not just moving the ball but being able to come out of the timeout and doing exactly what we talked about,” Ogwumike said. “And we were able to do just that, and I didn’t allow my fear of my low shooting percentage to affect that shot. It was the right shot at the right time and I’m glad that I took it.
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“And Dearica got a really great screen for me to get open on that play.”
As for the player that Ogwumike believes will one day surpass her Sparks’ records, Brink provided another huge game going up against the Mystics’ towering frontline of Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen in the starting lineup and Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic coming off the bench.
Brink finished with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, as well as continuing to be a defensive anchor in the middle. Getting to learn from Ogwumike every day and compete against her in practice is a big reason why Brink feels she’s been able to make such a big impact as of late.
“Iron sharpens iron. I think I’ve learned so much every day from Nneka, Dearica, all of our vets, even our rookies and I’m just really proud of the way we pour into each other,” Brink said. “Having Nneka by my side, the milestone she just hit is just so amazing. I’m just really lucky to be able to learn as much as I do every day.”
Related: How ‘pissed off’ Kelsey Plum has responded to ankle injury
Related: Nneka Ogwumike returns vs. Mystics amid Kelsey Plum injury
