a deeper dive into the offensive possessions of the la sparks in game #1

What does the offense revolve around?

  1. Ball screens. High ball screens everywhere
  2. Double-screen actions are prevalent
  3. Letting #30 Nneka Ogwumike cook inside
  4. Give and Go’s to #30 Nneka Ogwumike – especially in a mismatch
  5. If there is a 3pt shooter open in transition, pass to them.

Here is the main starters that I see on the team going forward:

PG: Jordin Canada #21/Layisha Clarendon #25

G: Lexie Brown #4

G: Layisha Clarendon #25/Karlie Samuelson #44/Zia Cooke #1

F: Nneka Ogwumike #30

C: Chiney Ogwumike #13

Obviously Ogwumike sisters are the soul of this team. They played most of the minutes last game. My question – how far can you go with #13 and #30 as your main contributors? Must hope that Zia Cooke is able to contribute at a high level.

I will say this – Zia was drafted onto a roster of capable guards. It will be hard for her to rise to the top amongst Lexie Brown, Jordin Canada, and Layshia Clarendon. Brown seems pretty set in that SG role, so someone between Cooke, Clarendon and Canada are going to lose minutes. Something to be aware of moving forward.

Zia looked pretty good in her limited minutes, but she wasn’t able to generate many open looks. She had to overcome great defense for just about every bucket.

Everything is this offense initiated out of a high ball screen. Many of these are pick-and-roll’s with #30 Nneka Ogwumike. She has a significant part of the offense placed upon her shoulders – the team trusts her to score in the paint against other bigs. Not sure it’s a strategy that can win you many games unless Nneka hits MVP form.

The only other sets I saw the team run more than once were a double-screen pic-play, and a baseline pinch-play designed to get Nneka Ogwumike open in the midrange.

Here are a few plays I felt were notable upon second watch:

Q1 9:36, Q1 1:07

  • Baseline Pinch-play for #30 N. Ogwumike
    • #30 LA handoff to #4 LA at top of paint
    • #21 LA Pinches #42 B. Griner & #8 PHX with a low screen
    • #4 pass to #25 to clear out baseline – right side of basket
    • #30 N. Ogwumike runs entire perimeter to get to spot – baseline midrange jumper miss
  • Freeing up your best player for a midrange jumper, relatively uncontested. I like the motion involved. Let’s see if we come back to this in the future.

Q1 7:15

  • #25 L. Clarendon screen at top-of-key for #30 N. Ogwumike
    • #25 L. Clarendon screen at top-of-key for #30 N. Ogwumike
    • #21 J. Canada pass inside to #30 N. Ogwumike for easy layup
  • They call this play while bringing the ball up with a hand-squeeze motion. Seems like the play was designed to attack #3 D. Turasi – it worked. Turasi bit.

Q1 5:43, Q3 9:57

  • Double-screen pic-play for #4 L. Brown
    • Line up 5 low
    • #21 J. Canada pass to #44 clears out left side
    • #13 LA and #30 N. Ogwumike set screens at baseline for #4 Lexie Brown
    • #4 L. Brown 3pt lightly contested is good
  • More double screen action. Lexie Brown can shoot it and she is cute and probably will be my favorite.

Q1 ~2:30

  • #4 L. Brown drives from top of key for tough layup
    • #44 K. Samuelson clears out left side & underneath basket, drags #2 PHX with her
    • #4 L. Brown fakes pass to #30 N. Ogwumike, drives for layup
  • Took advantage of the defenses’ tendency to double #30 N. Ogwumike, nice decision-making from L. Brown.

Q2 5:30

  • Back-to-Back screens
    • #4 L. Brown screens for #13 LA pass to #21 LA
    • #13 LA screens for #21 LA pass to #4 L. Brown, miss
  • Nothing that serious on this play. Just a simple action it seems like they’ll run

benpsher

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