LOS ANGELES, CA — Flau’jae Johnson continued her impressive rookie campaign Monday night, scoring a game-high 23 points as the Seattle Storm rolled to an 82-64 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.
Seattle turned in one of its strongest defensive performances of the season, forcing turnovers, dominating the passing lanes, and holding Los Angeles well below its offensive average to snap a lengthy road skid.
Johnson came out firing from the opening tip, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc while scoring 13 first-quarter points. Her early scoring burst helped the Storm establish a 20-15 advantage after the opening period and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Natisha Hiedeman provided another offensive spark with 15 points, while Jade Melbourne added 11 as Seattle improved to 6-17 overall and earned just its second road victory of the season.
Katie Lou Samuelson contributed nine points, connecting on three three-pointers, while Awa Fam anchored an aggressive defensive effort that produced 14 steals for the Storm.
Seattle’s defense dictated the game from start to finish.
The Storm limited Los Angeles to just 16.7 percent shooting from three-point range during the first half and carried a comfortable 48-37 lead into the locker room.
Any hopes of a Sparks comeback disappeared in the third quarter.
Seattle completely shut down Los Angeles offensively, allowing only eight points in the period while extending its lead to 68-48. The eight-point quarter marked the Sparks’ lowest-scoring period of the season and highlighted Seattle’s dominance on the defensive end.
Los Angeles, now 9-10, dropped its third consecutive game despite another solid outing from Dearica Hamby, who led the Sparks with 17 points.
Former Storm star Nneka Ogwumike recorded a double-double against her old team, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Sparks continued to play without two of their biggest stars, as Kelsey Plum remained sidelined with a lower left leg injury and Cameron Brink missed the contest while recovering from a left ankle injury.
Seattle also celebrated an individual milestone as rookie Dominique Malonga grabbed nine rebounds, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to record 300 career rebounds and the first player under the age of 21 to reach the milestone.
The game attracted several notable spectators, including South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley and NBA superstar Kevin Durant, both of whom watched from courtside.
Up Next:
The Storm continue their road trip Thursday with a matchup against the Atlanta Dream, while the Sparks return home Wednesday looking to end their losing streak when they host the Indiana Fever.
