Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike was on Saturday sporting a clear bandage under her eye. It was not hiding the five stitches she received after Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles used her arm to track down a rebound in the fourth quarter in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Ogwumike was quick to say Fowles did not do it intentionally.
“I saw it happening and it was like a fumble and when she went to get it she kind of flung her arm,” Ogwumike said. “It just kind of split the skin, but I think AB [Alana Beard] came up with the rebound.”
Photo: AFP
It is easy for the Sparks to find silver linings. They dominated the boards on Friday en route to beating the Lynx 75-64 in Game 3 and they are now one win away from hoisting the championship trophy at Staples Center.
The Sparks have plenty of experience given that they won last year and can become the first team since 2002 to win back-to-back titles.
The Sparks could envision hoisting that trophy with their fans — there was a sellout crowd of 13,500 on Friday in Game 3.
The Lynx face elimination, but can force a Game 5 in Minnesota on Wednesday with a win. They were in a similar situation last year and forced a fifth game.
Fowles said she and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve had a one-on-one conversation on Saturday morning.
“I think for the most part we respond well when our backs are against the wall,” Fowles said. “I don’t like those back-up-against-the-wall type of situations. Unfortunately, that’s where we are at this point.”
While the Sparks had a balanced offense, the Lynx backcourt struggled as Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen were both scoreless.
“I’ve got to be more aggressive,” Augustus said. “I’ve got to get the ball. I can’t shoot air. Our offense was very stagnant. Didn’t execute the way we wanted to, so it created a lot of one-on-one situations for everything.”
The Sparks believe they will play well in a closeout situation.
“I think we’re a different team, even from the semi-finals,” Ogwumike said. “We’ve learned a lot along the way. We have experience, I guess you could say, in closing games out.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two