LAS VEGAS — The Nneka Ogwumike appreciation tour made its final road stop on Tuesday night, and the host Las Vegas Aces gave the eight-time WNBA All-Star her flowers – literally – before taking care of their own business.
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Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Aces to an 89-79 victory over the Sparks, clinching at least the No. 3 seed for the WNBA playoffs.
The Aces (30-13), who won their sixth game in a row, will get home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Sunday. If the standings hold, they would face No. 6 seed Washington (27-16) in a best-of-three series.
Chelsea Gray scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the Aces, Stephanie Talbot had 14 points. Jackie Young was held to just 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting and struggled from behind the arc (1 for 8), but she offset a rough shooting night with a game-high 11 assists.
The retirement-bound Ogwumike, who was honored before the game with bouquets of flowers and a standing ovation, scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Sparks (16-27). Erica Wheeler added 16 points, five assists and four rebounds. Rae Burrell added 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, while Tonie Morgan posted 14 points on a much more efficient 6-of-7 showing from the field.
The Aces took control early with a 15-0 run that turned a 5-2 deficit into a 17-5 advantage. They stretched the margin to 17 points in the second quarter before the Sparks answered with 11 straight points to pull within 35-29.
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The Sparks continued to hang around and were within single digits early in the third quarter, but Las Vegas responded with another decisive burst. The hosts scored 10 unanswered points to push their lead to 63-45 and carried a comfortable advantage into the fourth.
The Sparks never seriously threatened down the stretch. The Aces kept their lead in double figures for most of the final quarter and closed out the 10-point victory to finish 3-1 in the season series against the Sparks.
Officially eliminated from playoff contention last month, the Sparks are just trying to send Ogwumike out on a high note. The 2016 league MVP, who announced last month that she will retire from the WNBA after this season, is also president of the players’ union, adding to her stature with her peers around the league.
The Sparks played without forwards Dearica Hamby (left knee) and Cameron Brink (right ankle). Hamby, who played for the Aces from 2015-22, averages 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Brink, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, averages 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.
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The Sparks close their season when they host Golden State on Thursday at 7 p.m.