LOS ANGELES — Chiney Ogwumike saw the ball snap through the net on a long three-pointer and she couldn’t help but celebrate. The Los Angeles Sparks forward formed a circle with her thumb and forefinger, holding the loop over her eye like a monocle while flashing a wide smile.
She’s back.
Ogwumike returned to the court for the first time since 2019, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in the Sparks’ season-opening 94-71 loss against the Dallas Wings at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday.
The Wings (1-0) overcame 26 turnovers by holding the Sparks (0-1) to 30 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth.
Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks with 18 points and eight rebounds, while forward Nia Coffey made her Sparks debut with 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Chiney was one of four Sparks players with double-digit points after she opted out of the 2020 bubble season because of health concerns with the compressed schedule during the pandemic. With basketball on the back burner, Ogwumike started to carve out a role as a media mogul, hosting a daily radio show on ESPN and producing the documentary “144.” The ESPN film aired Thursday showing behind-the-scenes footage of the WNBA’s 2020 season in Bradenton, Florida.
With her off-the-court exploits building, many questioned whether Ogwumike would return to the court. To her, returning to chase a championship was never in doubt.
“The reason I came to L.A. is to win a championship with my sister,” Ogwumike said on the first day of training camp. “I missed out on a year of getting closer to that. But I guess now it’s like, keep that same energy. I’m really glad to be back.”
Ogwumike wasn’t content to just come back as her old self.
The two-time All-Star known for her athleticism and energy in the post worked to improve her face-up shot during her extended break and showed it with two-of-three shooting on three-pointers Friday. Her previous career-high in made three-pointers was one.
Guard Kristi Toliver also made her long-awaited return to the court with 11 points and two assists after opting out last year. After the long layoff, Toliver said during training camp that her top priority for the season was to stay healthy. That goal was in jeopardy early Friday.
Halfway through the second quarter, Toliver came up limping and holding her right knee on defense. The Sparks held their collective breath for the 34-year-old guard whose 2019 season was marred by knee injuries, but she returned to the court after a timeout. Toliver played 24 minutes Friday.
Toliver signed with the Sparks as a free agent in 2020 hoping to rekindle the franchise’s championship magic. Instead of reuniting with Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray, with whom she won a title in 2016, Toliver found herself teaming with former Indiana Fever All-Star guard Erica Wheeler and rookie forward Jasmine Walker on a new-look team.
Sparks coach and general manager Derek Fisher’s plan to build the roster with long, versatile defenders paid off with forced turnovers, but the Wings also shot 52.4% from the field and 47.1% from three-point range.
The Wings had 20 turnovers in the first half but still led by three points at the break after shooting 60% from the field. The reigning WNBA scoring champion Arike Ogunbowale was held to three points with five turnovers in the first half, but the Wings got 15 first-half points from forward Allisha Gray. Gray finished with 23 points while Ogunbowale scored 17.
