Candace Parker has a new accomplice in Nneka Ogwumike, and the pair of former MVPs dethroned the perennial champion Minnesota Lynx a season ago. They’re among the most dynamic one-two punches in the league. On Thursday night, Ogwumike was caught in foul trouble in the opening two minutes of the first quarter and left the game in Parker’s hands.
Candace Parker knows the spotlight, and she owned it Game 2 of WNBA semifinals
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Parker owned that spotlight. She had her best 10 minutes in all of the playoffs and etched her name in record books yet again.
In an inspired effort, Parker snared nine rebounds and set a new WNBA playoff in doing so. She would finish with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in an 86-74 Sparks victory — a thoroughly dominant performance that more than made up for Ogwumika’s early absence.
Between the two forwards — Ogwumike and Parker — it’s semantics to argue which one is better. But while Parker may be 31 years old now, she hasn’t grown any easier to slow down. Parker had only — only — 15 points on Tuesday when the Sparks won Game 1, and they’re now just a win away from advancing to another Finals — one that will likely be a rematch against the Minnesota Lynx.
Parker is both a defensive monster who feasts on rebounds off the glass and a potent offensive scorer whose presence can never be forgotten. This is a huge reason why the Sparks are so dangerous and why with one more win, they can be a step away from a championship repeat.
Parker’s presence was critical against Phoenix
Despite completely revamping their roster, the Phoenix Mercury still don’t have reliable enough pieces around their two stars — Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. For the Sparks, facing Griner especially posed a problem. At 6’8, she inherently does that.
Of course, Los Angeles had a solution — and on Thursday, it involved frequent double teams from Parker and Ogwumike. The harried defense was enough to frustrate Griner, who did score 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting but struggled to exert herself consistently.
Reasons like that are why Parker is so crucial to the makeup of this roster. For the Sparks to repeat, she’ll certainly be a central part of it.
