L.A. native Jordin Canada lifted the Sparks to a victory in her debut with the team with 21 points, eight assists and two steals in a season-opening 98-91 overtime victory over the defending WNBA champion Chicago Sky on Friday night in Chicago.
Canada – a two-time WNBA champion playing behind future Hall of Fame point guard Sue Bird with the Seattle Storm – signed with the Sparks this offseason, eager for the opportunity to run the show herself.
The 5-foot-6 point guard stole the show Friday, including scoring eight of the Sparks’ 10 points in overtime – an extra period for which she gets the credit after she drew a foul on a 3-point attempt with 1.5 seconds left in regulation. With the game in the balance, the former Windward High and UCLA star made all three free throws without blinking to tie the score at 88-88.
Canada – who had just three turnovers, and only one through regulation – equaled her career scoring high in the victory.
Nneka Ogwumike propelled the Sparks early, scoring 15 of her 19 points before halftime, when the Sparks led 42-39 despite having fallen behind by 12-2 out of the gate.
Facing her former team for the first time, former Sparks great Candace Parker finished with 21 points to bring her career tally to 6,011, passing Seimone Augustus – who was on the Sparks’ bench as an assistant coach to see it – and then Lauren Jackson to move into 10th on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.
Parker started her 15th WNBA season by becoming the second player – along with Tamika Catchings – to have scored 6,000 career points, grabbed 3,000 rebounds and recorded 1,400 assists.
Liz Cambage, Lexie Brown and Chennedy Carter all scored 12 points apiece in their Sparks debuts.
More to come on this story.
.@nnekaogwumike with the clutch bucket late in the game
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