Los Angeles Sparks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Los Angeles Sparks
Conference	Western
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997
History	Los Angeles Sparks 1997–present
Arena	Crypto.com Arena
Location	Los Angeles, California
Team colors	Purple, gold, black, teal, white
Main sponsor	EquiTrust Life Insurance
General manager	Raegan Pebley
Head coach	Lynne Roberts
Assistant(s)	Danielle Robinson Zak Buncik Mike Neighbors
Ownership	Sparks LA Sports (Mark Walter, Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, Eric Holoman)
Championships	3 (2001, 2002, 2016)
Conference titles	3 (2001, 2002, 2003)
Heroine Explorer Rebel

The Los Angeles Sparks are a professional basketball team from Los Angeles, California. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Sparks are part of the Western Conference. Their home games are played at the Crypto.com Arena. The team started in 1997, the very first year of the WNBA. Unlike some other WNBA teams, the Sparks are not directly linked to an NBA team. However, they share their home city with the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

From 1997 to 2006, Jerry Buss, who owned the Lakers, also owned the Sparks. Since 2014, a group called Sparks LA Sports has owned the team. This group includes famous people like Magic Johnson.

The Sparks have made it to the WNBA playoffs in 20 of their 24 years. This is more than any other team in the league. Many great players have been on the team. These include Candace Parker, Nikki Teasley, Lisa Leslie, and Tina Thompson. The Sparks reached the WNBA Finals in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016, and 2017. They won championships in 2001, 2002, and 2016. They beat teams like the Charlotte Sting, New York Liberty, and Minnesota Lynx to win their titles.

Team History

Early Years: 1997 to 2000

The WNBA's first game ever was between the Sparks and the New York Liberty in 1997. The Sparks played at The Forum in Inglewood, California. They lost that first game. However, Sparks player Penny Toler scored the league's first two points. The Sparks finished their first season with a 14-14 record. They just missed the playoffs that year. In 1998, they also missed the playoffs.

In 1999, Lisa Leslie became a star player. The Sparks made the playoffs for the first time. They won their first playoff game against the Sacramento Monarchs. They reached the Western Conference Finals. But they lost to the Houston Comets, who were the champions.

Lisa Leslie

The 2000 season was amazing for the Sparks. They had a 28-4 record, which was one of the best in league history. In the playoffs, they beat the Phoenix Mercury. But they lost to the Comets again in the Western Conference Finals. The Comets won the first four WNBA championships, so the Sparks were always trying to catch up.

Winning Championships: 2001 and 2002

After the 2000 season, the Sparks moved to the Staples Center. They also got a new coach, Michael Cooper, a former Los Angeles Lakers player. In 2001, the Sparks had another great 28-4 record. In the playoffs, they finally beat the Comets. Then they beat the Monarchs to reach their first WNBA Finals. They won their first championship by beating the Charlotte Sting 2-0.

In 2002, Lisa Leslie made history by being the first woman in the WNBA to dunk the ball in a game. The Sparks had another strong season with a 25-7 record. They easily won their playoff games against the Seattle Storm and Utah Starzz. In the Finals, they played the New York Liberty. A late three-pointer by Nikki Teasley in Game 2 helped the Sparks win their second championship in a row.

Chasing a Third Title: 2003

In 2003, the Sparks had a 24-10 record. They wanted to win a third championship in a row. They had tough playoff series against the Minnesota Lynx and Sacramento Monarchs. Then they faced the Detroit Shock in the Finals. The Shock had been the worst team in 2002 but improved a lot. The Finals were very competitive. The Sparks were tired from their tough playoff games. They lost the series 2-1 and did not win their third straight title.

Playoff Contention: 2004 to 2006

In 2004, the Sparks started well. But coach Cooper left in the middle of the season to coach in the NBA. This affected the team, and they finished 25-9. They lost in the playoffs to the Sacramento Monarchs.

The Sparks struggled in 2005, finishing 17-17. They barely made the playoffs. They were swept by the Monarchs, who went on to win the championship.

In 2006, the Sparks played much better, with a 25-9 record. They beat the Seattle Storm in the playoffs. But the Monarchs ended their season again in the Western Conference Finals. This was the third year in a row the Monarchs stopped them.

A Tough Year: 2007

Crypto.com Arena

After the 2006 season, owner Jerry Buss sold the Sparks. A new group led by Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson bought the team. Soon after, star player Lisa Leslie announced she was pregnant and would not play in 2007. The Sparks had their worst season ever, with a 10-24 record. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

New Stars and New Owners: 2008 to 2015

Things looked up for the Sparks in 2008. Lisa Leslie returned to the team. Also, the team drafted Candace Parker, a top college player. Parker had just led her college team to a championship.

In 2008, the Sparks finished 20-14. Candace Parker won both Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP awards. This was a first in WNBA history. In the playoffs, the Sparks beat the Seattle Storm. They then played the San Antonio Silver Stars in the Western Conference Finals. The Sparks lost a close Game 2 and then lost Game 3, ending their playoff run.

Parker became pregnant after the 2008 season. The Sparks signed veteran players Tina Thompson and Betty Lennox to help. In 2009, Parker and Leslie both had injuries early on. But they returned in July, and the team improved. They made the playoffs again. They beat the Seattle Storm but lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference Finals. This was Lisa Leslie's last season playing.

In 2010, the Sparks hoped to win a championship with Parker. But Parker had shoulder surgery and missed most of the season. The team struggled and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The 2011 season was similar, with Parker getting injured again. The Sparks missed the playoffs.

In 2012, the Sparks got much better. They drafted Nneka Ogwumike, who would become a future MVP. The team finished second in their conference. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Lynx.

In 2014, the team was bought by Sparks LA Sports, a group that included Magic Johnson. The 2014 and 2015 seasons were disappointing. The Sparks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs both years.

Champions Again: 2016

After losing in the first round in 2015, the Sparks made some small changes. They became a championship contender in 2016. They finished with a 26-8 record and made the playoffs. The Sparks had a "Big Three" of Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, and Kristi Toliver. They earned the second seed in the league.

The Sparks beat the Chicago Sky in the semi-finals. They reached the Finals for the first time since 2003. They faced the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The Sparks won Game 1 with a last-second shot by Alana Beard. They lost Game 2 but won Game 3 at home. Game 5 was a historic game. Nneka Ogwumike, who was the WNBA MVP, made the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds left. The Sparks won their first championship since 2002, and their third overall! Candace Parker was named the Finals MVP.

More Championship Hunts: 2017 to 2020

In 2017, the Sparks had some roster changes. Kristi Toliver left, and Chelsea Gray became the starting point guard. The Sparks finished 26-8 again, as the second-best team. They swept the Phoenix Mercury in the semi-finals. This set up a rematch with the Lynx in the Finals. The Sparks won Game 1 with a late shot by Gray. They were up 2-1 in the series. But they lost Game 4 and Game 5, failing to win back-to-back championships.

In 2018, the Sparks kept their main players but did not play as well. They finished 19-15. They beat the Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the playoffs. But they lost badly to the Washington Mystics in the second round. This ended their two-year run of reaching the Finals.

After the 2018 season, coach Brian Agler left. Derek Fisher was hired as the new coach. In 2019, Penny Toler was no longer the general manager.

Post-Parker Era: 2021 to Present

Before the 2021 season, both Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray left the team. The Sparks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

On June 7, 2022, the Sparks and coach Derek Fisher parted ways. Fred Williams became the interim coach. The Sparks missed the playoffs again in 2022.

For the 2023 season, Curt Miller became the new head coach, and Karen Bryant was the new general manager. The Sparks missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. This was the first time in team history.

Before the 2024 season, Raegan Pebley became the new general manager. Nneka Ogwumike, the last player from the 2016 championship team, left. The Sparks drafted Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. The Sparks finished the 2024 season with the worst record in the league. Coach Miller left the team.

On November 19, 2024, Lynne Roberts was announced as the new head coach. Before the 2025 season, the Sparks traded their second draft pick to get Kelsey Plum.

Home Arena

The Los Angeles Sparks play their home games at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. For Sparks games, the arena holds 13,141 fans. The Sparks have played there since 2001. Before that, they played at The Forum.

Team Uniforms

• 2021–Present: Nike created new uniform designs. The Sparks now have a white uniform ("Heroine" series), a purple uniform ("Explorer" series), and a black third uniform ("Rebel" series). The "Rebel" uniforms show off the city's culture.
• 2018–2020: Nike became the uniform provider. EquiTrust remained the jersey sponsor. The gold and purple jerseys were called "Icon" and "Statement" series.
• 2015–2017: EquiTrust Life Insurance became the new jersey sponsor. The jerseys stayed mostly the same, just adding the sponsor's name.
• 2013–2014: The Farmers Insurance sponsorship ended. The team name returned to the jerseys.
• 2011–2012: Adidas introduced new jerseys. Home uniforms were gold with white numbers. Away uniforms were purple with white numbers. Farmers Insurance was still on the jerseys.
• 2009–2010: Farmers Insurance Group became the jersey sponsor. Their name and logo appeared on the front of the jerseys. In 2009, the Sparks mostly wore yellow jerseys. In 2010, they added purple jerseys for away games.
• 2007–2008: Home jerseys were gold with purple lines and "Sparks" written across. Away jerseys were purple with gold lines and "Los Angeles" written across. They looked similar to the Lakers' uniforms.
• 1997–2006: Home jerseys were gold with a large purple stripe and "Sparks" written across. Away jerseys were purple with a large gold stripe and "Los Angeles" written across.

Season Records

Players

Current Roster

Retired Numbers

The Sparks have honored some of their greatest players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.

FIBA Hall of Fame Players

Some Sparks players have also been honored in the FIBA Hall of Fame, which recognizes top international basketball players.

Coaches and Staff

Team Owners

• Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers (1997–2006)
• Gemini Basketball LLC (2006–2011)
• Williams Group Holdings (2011–2014)
• Sparks LA Sports (Mark Walter, Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, Eric Holoman) (2014–present)

Head Coaches

General Managers

• Rhonda Windham (1997–1999)
• Penny Toler (2000–2019)
• Derek Fisher (2021–2022)
• Karen Bryant (2023)
• Raegan Pebley (2024–present)

Team Statistics

Media Coverage

Some Sparks games are shown on Spectrum SportsNet. This is a local TV channel in Southern California. The Sparks also have games broadcast nationally. These can be seen on channels like ESPN, ESPN2, Ion Television, CBS, CBS Sports Network, and ABC.

The team's games are not currently on radio. In the past, they were on different radio stations from 1999 to 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Los Angeles Sparks para niños