Ogwumike, Sparks Beat Storm 81-53, Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Te’a Cooper scored 19 points, Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler added 17 points apiece, and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 81-53 to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Sparks (11-19) pulled into a tie with the New York Liberty, one game behind the Washington Mystics for the eighth and final playoff spot with two games to play. Seattle (20-11) fell into fourth place, a half-game behind Minnesota and a half-game ahead of fifth-place Phoenix. The top four teams earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Storm set a season low for points while shooting 32% from the field and 22% (6 of 27) from 3-point range.