Los Angeles — The Los Angeles Sparks were missing three players for Friday's WNBA game.

The Connecticut Sun, meanwhile, were missing their shots. And many of them.

The Sun shot an abysmal 30.8-percent as they lost their first game of the season the first time they played on the road, 77-70, before 12,334 at the Staples Center.

Connecticut (2-1) missed 54 of 78 shots.

“When you shoot the way that we did — we just couldn’t find an offensive rhythm — you’re going to lose,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said.

Los Angeles' Chiney Ogwumike haunted her former team as she had a game-high 20 points with seven rebounds. Ogwumike demanded a trade to the Sparks during the offseason so she that she could player with older sister, Nneka, forcing the Sun to deal her for a 2020 first-round pick.

Nneka Ogwumike had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Chelsea Gray added 16 points, four rebounds and four assists for Los Angeles (1-1). It played without starters Candace Parker (left hamstring) and Alana Beard (left leg), as well as reserve Maria Vadeeva (overseas commitments).

"We missed some early shots, and we need to keep our heads up when things get down," Sun Courtney Williams said. "It's hard to play on the road. Every team is good no matter if they're missing players or not."

Jonquel Jones had 16 points and tied her career record with 22 rebounds, including eight offensive rebounds. Jones had 22 rebounds against the Washington Mystics on Aug. 29, 2017. She was also one rebound short of Tina Charles' franchise record.

Jasmine Thomas had 14 points and five rebounds for the Sun and Courtney Williams scored 14.

The Sun had a bad portent early when starter Alyssa Thomas was hip checked to the floor by Nneka Ogwumike 1 minute, 52 seconds into the game. Thomas played less than four minutes in the first half and Connecticut fell behind, 38-31, at halftime.

The Sun lost eight of 10 games during the regular season last year after Thomas injured her shoulder. They lost just six games with her.

Gray's layup gave Los Angeles its biggest lead, 49-39, with 6:46 left in the third quarter.

Connecticut got to within 49-42 with 5:59 remaining in the third. It proceeded to miss its next 11 shots and turned it over three times as neither team scored until Chiney Ogwumike's layup with 48 seconds left in the period.

The Sun used a 12-4 run to close to within a point of Los Angeles late in the game. It culminated with Jones' 3-pointer as Connecticut cut its deficit to 63-62 with 4:33 remaining.

Tierra Ruffin-Pratt answered with a 3-pointer moments later and the Sun never got any closer.

Connecticut plays at the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday night (Mandalay Bay Events Center, 6 p.m., NESN). The Aces, favored to win the 2019 WNBA title in the league's preseason GM poll, lost at Phoenix on Friday night, 86-84.