A big frontcourt night
Seven of 11 from the field. That was the line Olivia Nelson-Ododa put together in Boston on Tuesday, and it carried the Connecticut Sun to an 85-77 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. She finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Her second big outing in three days, too. On Saturday she had gone for a season-best 21 on 7-of-9 shooting, though the Sun still lost 82-75 to the New York Liberty. This time the rest of the roster showed up with her.
Connecticut shot 50.7% as a team, which is not something a 9-25 side does often, least of all one playing without Brittney Griner (left knee) and Aaliyah Edwards (left ankle). Diamond Miller added 13 points. Saniya Rivers chipped in 11 off the bench.
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The third quarter changed everything
Connecticut led 46-40 at halftime. It was tight. It stayed tight for exactly one more quarter, then the Sun ripped through a 26-15 third period.
Nelson-Ododa started the run with a basket and the foul, then finished it with a layup to spark a 10-0 burst. Kennedy Burke followed with three straight threes. With the transition game humming, Connecticut pulled away to 72-53. Burke scored all 17 of her points in the second half.
The lead stretched to 21 early in the fourth. Los Angeles made a small dent, but never seriously threatened.
Two of 16 from deep, and the Sparks are still falling
Los Angeles missed 14 of 16 attempts from long range. That 12.5% mark from outside told the story more than anything else. Rae Burrell scored 19 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 18 and Dearica Hamby had 15, and it still was not enough.
Leila Lacan handed out 10 assists, the best total in the game. Her pairing with Charlisse Leger-Walker produced 16 assists against four turnovers, which is roughly the opposite of how a 9-25 team usually plays.
The Sparks fall to 12-23 and have now lost five in a row. Connecticut has beaten them twice in two meetings this season, following an 84-81 win on May 30.
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