Nneka Ogwumike put up 24 points and Rae Burrell added 15, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter, as the Los Angeles Sparks erased a 17-point deficit against the Washington Mystics. The comeback keeps Los Angeles within range of a playoff spot with roughly a quarter of the season remaining.
The Mystics led by double digits through three quarters before Burrell's bench production collapsed Washington's cushion. Ogwumike finished efficiently, but Burrell's fourth-quarter scoring run—12 points in under eight minutes—gave head coach Curt Miller rotation flexibility he has not had consistently this season. The Sparks are now 9-13 on the year, three games back of the eighth seed with 12 games left. Every win compounds playoff probability, and the margin between seventh and ninth in the Western Conference is narrow enough that net rating matters as much as raw record.
The Sparks operate under unusual ownership attention. Eric Holoman's group bought the franchise in 2024 for a reported figure near $50 million, below the $75 million benchmark Atlanta and Toronto franchises commanded in recent WNBA expansion and relocation discussions. The franchise has underperformed attendance projections—averaging roughly 8,700 fans per game at Crypto.com Arena, below the 10,000 threshold sponsors typically use for activation budgets. A playoff berth would extend the season into September, adding at least two home dates and opening a second sponsorship window before 2025 renewals begin in November.
Ogwumike's production is expected; she has made nine All-Star teams. Burrell's development is the variable. The 23-year-old guard is in her second season and averaging 8.4 points per game off the bench, but her fourth-quarter performance against Washington showed the shot creation Miller needs to avoid late-game offensive stagnation. The Sparks' salary cap situation is tight—$1.46 million total roster payroll under the league's $1.46 million cap—which means internal development carries more weight than midseason acquisitions. If Burrell can replicate this output, Miller has a legitimate three-guard rotation without needing to move draft capital or exceed the cap.
The win also matters for Ogwumike's contract optics. She is a free agent after this season and will be 35 by the time 2025 tip-off arrives. WNBA max contracts for veterans of her tenure run roughly $250,000 annually, but actual offers depend on playoff performance and team cap space. A deep playoff run raises her leverage. A first-round exit or a missed postseason lowers it. The Sparks have her Bird rights, so they can exceed the cap to retain her, but ownership's willingness to do so hinges on whether the franchise looks like a 2025 contender or a rebuild candidate.
The Mystics, meanwhile, fall to 6-17 and are effectively eliminated from playoff contention. Washington's front office will now shift focus to 2025 roster construction, which includes decisions on pending free agents and whether to move veterans before the league's August trade deadline. The Sparks' remaining schedule includes four games against playoff-bound teams and eight against sub-.500 opponents, giving them a realistic path to the eighth seed if Burrell's shooting holds.
Watch for Miller's rotation decisions over the next 10 days. If Burrell's minutes climb above 20 per game, it signals confidence in her as a postseason piece. If they flatten, the Sparks are still figuring out their closing lineup with September approaching.
The takeaway
Burrell's bench scoring gives the Sparks a rotation option that matters more than one comeback win in a tight playoff race.
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