Amanda Knapp
The Los Angeles Sparks are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. The team competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The Sparks were founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season and have since qualified for the WNBA playoffs in twenty of their twenty-four years in Los Angeles, a record unmatched by any other team in the league. The Sparks are currently owned by Sparks LA Sports, a group that includes former NBA player Magic Johnson, and play their home games at Crypto.com Arena.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Sport | Basketball |
| League | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) |
| Conference | Western Conference |
| Home Games Arena | Crypto.com Arena |
| Founding Year | 1997 |
| Current Head Coach | Curt Miller |
| Current General Manager | Raegan Pebley |
| Points Per Game | 78.4 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 32.7 |
| Assists Per Game | 19.7 |
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What You'll Learn
Los Angeles Sparks' history and ownership
The Los Angeles Sparks is an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
The Sparks were founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season. Notably, the Sparks are not affiliated with an NBA counterpart, despite sharing a market with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. From 1997 to 2006, the Sparks were owned by Lakers owner Jerry Buss, as a sister team to the Lakers. During this period, the Sparks' uniforms resembled those of the Lakers.
In 2006, Buss announced he was selling the Sparks. The team was then purchased by an investor group, Gemini Basketball LLC, led by Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson. In 2007, the team had a poor season, posting a league-worst 10-24 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since 1998. However, in 2008, the Sparks' prospects improved dramatically with the return of star player Lisa Leslie, and the addition of Candace Parker, the college player of the year. That year, the Sparks finished third in the Western Conference.
In 2014, the team was abruptly sold again, with Williams Group Holdings relinquishing control. The Sparks were then purchased by Sparks LA Sports, a group that included former NBA player Magic Johnson, along with Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, and Eric Holoman. Since 2014, the Sparks LA Sports consortium has owned the team.
The Sparks have a successful history, qualifying for the WNBA playoffs in twenty of their twenty-four years in Los Angeles, more than any other team in the league. They won consecutive championships in 2001 and 2002 and have produced notable players such as Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler, whose jerseys have been retired by the team.
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Sparks' jerseys and uniforms
The Los Angeles Sparks is an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The team has qualified for the WNBA playoffs in twenty of its twenty-four years in Los Angeles, more than any other team in the league.
The Sparks jerseys and uniforms have undergone several changes over the years. From 1997 to 2006, the Sparks' home game jerseys were gold with a large purple stripe on the side and the word "Sparks" written in purple. The away game jerseys during this period were purple with a large gold stripe and "Los Angeles" in yellow.
In the 2007-2008 season, the Sparks made a slight design change to their jerseys. The home jerseys featured gold with purple lines and sparks on the side, with "Sparks" written in purple. The away jerseys mirrored this design but with purple as the primary colour and "Los Angeles" in yellow.
In 2009, the Sparks introduced a yellow jersey for all games, regardless of whether they were playing at home or away. However, in 2010, they reverted to using distinct jerseys for home and away games, with purple jerseys for away games.
Today, the Sparks' official online store offers a range of jerseys for fans to purchase, including those of top players and customisable options. Fans can also find Sparks apparel and merchandise on other websites, such as Fanatics, which offers jerseys, shirts, hoodies, hats, and other accessories.
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Sparks' players and draft picks
The Los Angeles Sparks are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The Sparks were founded in 1997, the same year the WNBA was established. The team has qualified for the WNBA playoffs in twenty of their twenty-four years in Los Angeles, a feat unmatched by any other team in the league.
In the 2012 season, the Sparks drafted Nneka Ogwumike, who would go on to become a Rookie of the Year and future MVP. Ogwumike was the number-one pick and played for the Sparks until the 2016 championship, after which she departed in free agency. In 2022, the Sparks parted ways with their head coach and general manager, Derek Fisher, after a 5-7 start to the season. Despite this, Fisher had a winning record as head coach, going 54-46 during his tenure. The Sparks ultimately missed the playoffs that year, beginning a three-year drought.
For the 2023 season, Curt Miller was named the new head coach, and Karen Bryant was brought in as the new general manager. However, the Sparks were unable to end their playoff drought. Ahead of the 2024 season, Raegan Pebley took over as general manager, while the Sparks bolstered their roster through trades and draft picks. They acquired the fourth pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and selected Cameron Brink, a Stanford center, and Rickea Jackson, a Tennessee forward, with their two lottery picks. Brink, the Sparks' highest draft pick since Ogwumike, impressed coaches with her shot-blocking ability, while Jackson showcased her versatility and scoring prowess.
The Sparks' 2024 draft picks also included Kaitlyn Davis, a USC forward taken in the third round with the 35th overall pick. While the Sparks lacked a "superstar" on their roster that season, their draft selections and revamped lineup were expected to help them compete for a playoff spot.
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Sparks' coaches and management
The Los Angeles Sparks is an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.com Arena. The Sparks were founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season. The Sparks are unique in that they are not affiliated with an NBA counterpart, despite sharing a market with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Sparks have had several coaches and management personnel over the years. In 2022, the Sparks parted ways with head coach and general manager Derek Fisher. During his tenure, Fisher led the Sparks to a 54-46 record. Fred Williams took over as interim head coach, but the team missed the playoffs. Curt Miller was named the new head coach for the 2023 season, with Karen Bryant as the new general manager. Unfortunately, the Sparks missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year, a first in franchise history.
For the 2024 season, Raegan Pebley was appointed as the new general manager, while Nneka Ogwumike, the last remaining player from the 2016 championship team, left the Sparks. The Sparks acquired the fourth pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and selected Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson with their lottery picks.
In terms of ownership, the Sparks have had several different groups in control. From 1997 to 2006, the team was owned by Lakers owner Jerry Buss as a sister team to the Lakers. From 2006 to 2011, the owners were Gemini Basketball LLC, composed of Carla Christofferson, Kathy Goodman, and Lynai Jones. From 2011 to 2014, the Williams Group Holdings (Paula Madison) owned the team, with Carla Christofferson, Nicholas J H, and Lisa Leslie as minority owners. In 2014, the team was abruptly sold, and since then, the Sparks have been owned by Sparks LA Sports, a group that includes former NBA player Magic Johnson, Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, and Bobby Patton.
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Sparks' game broadcasts and coverage
The Los Angeles Sparks is an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.com Arena.
Sparks Game Broadcasts and Coverage
The Los Angeles Sparks have had their games broadcast on various platforms over the years. In 2003, the team's broadcasts were on KLAC, which had summer time slots available after the Anaheim Angels' radio broadcasts left. In 2006, KLAC switched the broadcasts to XETRA, but in 2007, the game broadcasts moved to KTLK when XETRA switched to Spanish-language broadcasts. The Sparks then chose not to renew their contract with Clear Channel Communications after 2008, as their radio broadcasts never covered a complete season.
In 2022, the Sparks returned to Spectrum SportsNet for their 10th season, with the network airing 29 regular-season games (17 home games and 12 road games). The broadcast team was led by play-by-play announcer Rahshaun Haylock, with Ros Gold-Onwude and Allie Clifton serving as analysts. Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell also joined as a guest analyst during select games.
For the 2024 season, the Sparks again announced Spectrum SportsNet as the official TV home of the team for their 12th consecutive season. The broadcast team included Mary Murphy, Rahshaun Haylock, and Nikki Kay, who joined as the team's sideline reporter for her second season.
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Frequently asked questions
Will Sparks Basketball refers to the Los Angeles Sparks, an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles.
The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference.
The team is currently owned by Sparks LA Sports, a group that includes former NBA player Magic Johnson, Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, and Eric Holoman.
The Sparks play their home games at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
