The Los Angeles Sparks cannot be stopped. Not even a 16-point first-half deficit was enough to slow down the hottest team in the WNBA, who came storming back after the break on Friday night to stun the Atlanta Dream, 83-78, and extend their winning streak to six games.
Just a few weeks ago, the Sparks were multiple games behind the Chicago Sky in the race for the No. 8 seed. Now, they’ve put the Sky in the rearview mirror and cruised all the way up to seventh place. While a tricky remaining schedule may make it difficult to move up any further in the standings, the Sparks are on pace to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and avoid the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
This has been a trying season for the Sparks, who have been shorthanded the entire way and lost more games to injury and illness than any other team in the league. Through it all, they have relied on their former MVP, Nneka Ogwumike, as a stabilizing force, and it was no surprise that she played a major role in their comeback on Friday.
The veteran forward dominated in the paint en route to a 29-point, 12-rebound outing that was one of her best of the season. She did most of that work in the second…
