Kelsey Plum reveals message to Nneka Ogwumike that sparked win vs. Storm

The Los Angeles Sparks kicked off their three-game road trip with a gritty win against the Seattle Storm on Thursday. After defeating the Portland Fire last weekend at home, the team’s win streak hit two games. And it was star forward Nneka Ogwumike who helped lead the way against her former team, inspired by a conversation from Sparks teammate Kelsey Plum.

Following the Sparks’ 88-83 win against the Storm, Kelsey Plum admitted that she couldn’t recall the entire chat she had with Nneka Ogwumike, but that the general gist of it was how the team is that much better when the All-Star forward is playing aggressively on offense.

“Just really reinforcing like, ‘hey, we’re gonna go as far as me and you take us.’ I think that I just encourage her. I know for me sometimes I am dynamic and people can play a little passive. But I just encourage like, ‘hey I need you to be hyper-aggressive when you get the ball,’” Plum told reporters during her postgame press conference. “Nneka is such a selfless player. I think she’s been a little bit passive in terms of the first couple of games.

“She’s trying to feel out the offense, she’s trying to do the right thing. But our best shot is with her in space, whether that’s on the hash or the elbow or things like that. Her aggressiveness tonight was key, especially in the third. It kind of broke the game open for us. So if anything, I was just like, ‘hey, I just want you to keep being super aggressive.”

Ogwumike led the team with a game-high 24 points. She was only one of two Sparks players, the other being Cameron Brink, who shot 50 percent (9-of-18) or better from the field. She also added nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in 33 minutes.

She got rolling after haltime, scoring 11 of her 24 points in the third quarter to help keep the game within striking distance. And in the fourth quarter, when the Sparks surged ahead of took control of the game, Ogwumike hit a few clutch shots, getting to her spots on the court to hold off the Storm.

And that was on the heels of another monster performance in the win against the Fire where she finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds and another 50+ percent shooting night.

In recent weeks, Ogwumike has continued to etch her name in the history books, overtaking Lisa Leslie as the franchise’s all-time leader in made shots, and moving up on the league’s all-time rebounding list.

For Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, having a calm and collected veteran leader like Ogwumike on the court, especially in the middle of a tight game, is luxury to have.

“She’s just so poised and she doesn’t rush. In those stressful situations offensively when we know we have to score or know we need to get a great shot up, it’s great to have her,” Roberts said during her postgame press conference. “She doesn’t panic, she doesn’t rush and she seems to always make the right decision. That’s why she’s a Hall of Famer.”

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