The Los Angeles Sparks entered their showdown with the Las Vegas Aces missing a couple key bodies. After suffering a mild hamstring injury on Wednesday, 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike did not suit up. And Seimone Augustus — the Sparks first player off the bench on most nights — was held out of the game after not feeling her best during warmups (obligatory 2020 disclaimer: She wasn’t feeling right athletically; it was not illness-related.).
Ultimately, the lack of veteran bodies came back to bite them. They matched the Aces’ punches all game long and led by a point going into the final frame.