Thirty years ago, with the W logo as the ‘I’, then WNBA president Val Ackerman conducted a ceremonial jump ball between Hall of Fame Los Angeles Sparks leader Lisa Leslie, and legendary New York Liberty star Kym Hampton. And with that, the first game in league history tipped off on June 21st, 1997.
The rest, as they say, is HERstory.
Back then, 14,284 fans at LA’s, and the Lakers’, former home of the Great Western Forum watched the Liberty strike the Sparks 67-57, behind legend Rebecca Lobo and the first points in Women’s NBA history scored by Penny Toler.
What a way to make a mark.
Three decades later, it was close, but it was no Liberty victory cigar for a same story.
It’s been a great year for President of the WNBA Players Association (WNBAPA) Nneka Ogwumike. Returning to Hollywood, after a short stint in Seattle, the superstar veteran just made TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in sports, alongside the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Lionel Messi and basketball family Trinity Rodman.
Her Los Angeles Lakers brethren, King LeBron James took the cover as TIME 100’s ‘Athlete Of The Century’.
This year’s LA Sparks home jersey truly is the gold. Paying tribute to the original design of the franchise and its icon Lisa Leslie, looking like the same number nine that now resides in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena.
The palm tree with the Spark was joined by the classic WNBA logo in this ceremonial contest coronation, as the New York Liberty (no stranger to iconic threads) broke out their classic jerseys from 1997. The 90s nostalgia was, as new New York Knick world champion Jalen Brunson would put it, “immaculate”.
Apologies, I’m too old to say “vibes.”
It was Nneka who lit the fuse though. The storied Sparks and recent champion Liberty were duking it out all game. Whether it was the giant steps of big Breanna Stewart for NYK, or LA MVP favourite Kelsey Plum floating like a butterfly on the perimeter, akin to Muhammed Ali in the ring, all before bobbing and weaving with punch in the paint.
Yet the home team trying to make a stand were still down with less than ten seconds to go, despite the heroics of another returning Sparks star, Erica Wheeler, and a most improved, Rae Burrell (she was already hot).
That’s when Wheeler found the Sparks legend Ogwumike downtown for an off-balance, walk-off, buzzer-beating three. The kind that’s in the icon’s wheelhouse.
Outside, like the Sparks’ contention chances of taking the Liberty or the Las Vegas Aces’ crown. Although a storied Minnesota Lynx franchise, that Nneka Ogwumike knows all too well about, might have something to say about all that.
Regardless, Hollywood needed this after some recent heartbreakers. This, like their heater against the Mercury recently, have ended in epic excitement like the NBA Finals.
Closer than close. Until the closer came along.
Sparks 98, Liberty 97.
You bet!
The bling of the diamond-encrusted WNBA 30 chain was presented to the woman of the moment and arguably the greatest Spark of all-time, we see you Candace Parker, who was in tears of pride and joy as she met another…in Lisa Leslie.
It’s just like that for purple and gold basketball franchises.
I mean who is the greatest Laker? Magic? Kobe? Kareem? Shaq? Wilt? West?
The rafters go on.
Dončić. Plum.
Trailing by as much as 17 points in the fourth, Ogwumike’s 24 (perfect) was fitting down the stretch. And what made this all better? Nneka’s sister and former Spark teammate Chiney Ogwumike was calling this game for ESPN.
It’s all the same and family for the W.
In another 30 years, they’ll still be dancing at 60.
