Nneka Ogwumike’s illustrious career wrapped up with a gut-wrenching fourth-quarter collapse, as the Sparks blew a double-digit lead in the final minutes, falling 76-75 to the Golden State Valkyries in her season finale. After leading for much of the game, the Sparks were outscored 30-20 in the final frame, snatching what could have been a storybook send-off right out of her hands. It was a brutal way to close out an incredible run for a legend.
Early Struggles and Sparks’ First Half Push
Honestly, the offensive struggles were real for both squads at the start. The Sparks shot just 36% from the field, and both teams combined to miss 10 attempts from behind the arc. It was tight, with the purple and gold down by two at the end of the first quarter. But who else but Nneka Ogwumike to lead the charge early, dropping six of LA’s first eight points! Gabby Williams chipped in six for Golden State, but the Sparks started to find their rhythm. LA strung together five points in a row to take the lead, with Nneka hitting double figures, stacking up 10 points. They kept pouring it on, using a Rae Burrell and-one to grab a 30-21 lead. Nneka then hit a turnaround jumper, giving her 12 points and sealing a 35-26 halftime edge. The team had a response for every Valks basket in that second period, building momentum big time.
Lead Evaporates in Crushing Final Moments
The Sparks looked like they were going to cruise after Erica Wheeler and Burrell drained threes early in the third, pushing the lead to 15 and forcing an early Golden State timeout. Even though fouls started piling up for the Sparks, letting Golden State chip away to nine points, Burrell was clutch with back-to-back threes that instantly stretched it back to 14. Monique Akoa Makani even added an and-one layup, extending the lead to 16 points! But, man, Golden State just wouldn’t quit, finishing the third quarter on a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to nine.
Then the fourth quarter hit. The Sparks were up 72-62 with a mere 2:21 left on the clock, looking like they had this game locked down. What happened next? Pure heartbreak. Golden State unleashed an absolutely devastating 11-0 run in just two minutes, capped off by a Gabby Williams three-pointer that gave the Valkyries a 73-72 lead with 20 seconds left. You could feel the air just get sucked out of the arena. Rae Burrell and Nneka Ogwumike both had chances to take the lead back in those dying seconds, but both attempts came up empty. It was a gut punch, pure and simple, to see Nneka’s final game end in such a brutal, collapsed fashion.
What a brutal way to see such an incredible career come to a close. Nneka Ogwumike deserved better than this fourth-quarter heartbreaker in her final game. It’s tough to swallow, but that kind of fight and grit for three quarters showed exactly the kind of player she always was. A legend.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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