By Wyatt Yearout
The Seattle Storm will look to bounce back from its first road loss of the season as it takes on the Los Angeles Sparks at the STAPLES Center on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m./PT.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN2, with live stats also available at StormBasketball.com. Live updates will also be provided on Twitter by following @SeattleStorm.
LAST TIME OUT
Seattle dropped its first road game of the season in its last contest against the Dallas Wings, falling 94-90.
The Wings came out hot out of the gate, shooting a blistering 78.6 percent in the opening period. Seattle hit a cold streak in the second quarter while Dallas remained in a groove on offense, extending their lead at one point to 26 points.
The second half was a different story, with Seattle coming out as the aggressors while limiting the Wings to just 11 points in the third quarter to cut the lead to just two points entering the fourth.
Seattle tied the game at 74 with about seven minutes remaining but could never secure the lead. A late 7-0 run by Dallas gave them a big enough cushion to obtain the victory despite a push by the Storm in the final minute.
SCOUTING LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles is sitting at 4-1 on the season, taking down the Minnesota Lynx in their last game 77-69. Candace Parker led the way for the Sparks with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Sparks’ lone loss this season came against the Connecticut Sun back on May 24, with a final score of 102-94. The 102 points marked a season-high in points allowed for LA, but they have allowed 80 points or less in every other game this season.
Los Angeles is being led this season by Nneka Ogwumike, who is posting 18.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Seattle is 33-35 all-time against Los Angeles. The Sparks won the season series last year 2-1, with the home team winning each matchup.
The Sparks currently hold a three-game winning streak at home over the Storm. The last Seattle victory at the STAPLES Center came on August 11, 2015, where the Storm defeated the Sparks 85-77.
This matchup marks the first of three total meetings between the two teams this season. Seattle will host the final two games of the series with the first meeting coming on June 28, and the series finale on July 10.
NEXT UP
Seattle returns to KeyArena for its next game against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m./PT.