LOS ANGELES SPARKS

The 'Los Angeles Sparks' are a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1997, they are one of the 8 original WNBA teams and were one of the teams that participated in the league's inaugural game. The Sparks are the sister team of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Since their inception, the Sparks have been a focal point of the league. The team's major star has always been USC standout Lisa Leslie, who has led the Sparks since its inception in 1997.
'Uniform:'
Golden with purple lines on the side at home, with the name Sparks written across in purple. Purple with golden yellow lines on the side on the road, with the name Sparks in Yellow. The uniform looks similar to the Los Angeles Lakers' uniform.

Contents

Franchise History

Season-by-Season Records

Media coverage

Players of note

Hall of Famers

Retired numbers

Not to be forgotten

Current Roster

Coaches and others

External links

Franchise History

The 1997 WNBA season, the leagues first, would feature Los Angeles vs. New York. The Sparks would lose the WNBA's inaugural game to the New York Liberty. Sparks player Penny Toler scored the league's first two points with a lay-up in that game.
The Sparks had what many considered to be a disappointing season in 1997, finishing with a record of 14-14. The team did compete for a playoff spot, but thanks to a loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the final game of the season, the Sparks missed the playoffs. In 1998, the Sparks finished 12-18, missing the playoffs once more.
The 1999 season would feature the deveolpment of Lisa Leslie and the Sparks first playoff birth, as the Sparks posted a 20-12 record. The Sparks would win their first playoff game and series too, with a win over the Sacramento Monarchs. The Sparks would play a competitive Western Conference Finals, but would fall to the defending champion Houston Comets 2 game to 1 in a three game series.
The 2000 season would be a record one, as the Sparks tore up the WNBA with a record 28-4 record. In the playoffs, the Sparks destroyed the Pheonix Mercury in the first round, sweeping them. But the Sparks would be lose in the West Finals again, getting swept by the Comets.
The 2000-2001 offseason featured a coaching change, as the Sparks hired former Los Angeles Lakers player Michael Cooper to be the head coach. The Sparks would again post an unbelievable post a 28-4 record. In the playoffs, the Sparks were able to finally eliminate the Comets, sweeping them in the first round. The Sparks would need 3 games to eliminate the Monarchs to earn their first birth in the WNBA Finals. The Sparks would sweep the Charlotte Sting 2-0 for their first championship.
In 2002, Leslie became the first woman to dunk in the league, as the Sparks would once again dominate, posting a 25-7 record. The Sparks would fly through the playoffs, sweeping the Seattle Storm and Utah Starzz to reach the Finals. The Sparks would be matched up against the Liberty, who were still looking for their first championship. After splitting the first two games, the Sparks would pull away in game 3 and win their second championship.
In 2003, the Sparks would post a 24-10 record. The Sparks went into the playoffs looking for the three-peat. The Sparks would have to play the maximum number games to get to the finals though, as the Sparks required 3 games each to beat the Minnesota Lynx and Sacramento Monarchs. The Sparks would face the upstart Detroit Shock in the Fianls. The rough road to the Finals and the tough play of the series would grind down the Sparks. Their three-peat was denied, as the Sparks lost the series 2-1.
In the 2003-2004 offseason, the Sparks signed two standout players, Tamika Whitmore and Teresa Weatherspoon, both of whom had played for the rival New York Liberty. The Sparks get off to a great start, but coach Cooper would leave midseason to seek a coaching job in the NBA. The loss of their coach had a factor, as the Sparks had a so-so finish, ending with a record of 25-9. In the playoffs, the Sparks would stumble, losing in 3 games to the Sacremento Monarchs.
In 2005, the Sparks would struggle all year and post a 17-17 record. The Sparks barely made the playoffs, getting the #4 seed. In the first round, the Sparks would simply be outplayed, getting swept by the eventual champion Sacramento Monarchs.
The 2006 Sparks would play much better, posting a 25-9 record. In the playoffs, the Sparks would defeat the Seattle Storm in 3 games. In the Western Finals, the Sparks season would end to the Monarchs for the third season in a row, as the Sparks were swept.
After the 2006 season ended, team owner Jerry Buss announced he was selling the Sparks. On December 7, 2006, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported the sale to an investor group led by Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson. Goodman is currently a high school teacher at HighTechHigh-LA in Encino and was a former executive for Intermedia Films. Christofferson is a litigation attorney for the O'Melveny & Myers law firm and was Miss North Dakota USA 1989.
The day after the sale was announced, team star Lisa Leslie announced that she was pregnant and would not play in the WNBA in the 2007 season. Despite Michael Cooper's return to the team as head coach, the loss of Leslie for the year would prove devestating, as the Sparks posted a horrible 10-24 record. The record is the worst in Sparks history, as the Sparks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

Season-by-Season Records

|-
|colspan="6" align=center bgcolor="#410079" | 'Los Angeles Sparks'
|-
|1997 || 14 || 14 || .500 || ||
|-
|1998 || 12 || 18 || .400 || ||
|-
|1999 || 20 || 12 || .625 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Finals || Los Angeles 71, Sacramento 58
Houston 2, Los Angeles 1
|-
|2000 || 28 || 4 || .875 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Finals
|| Los Angeles 2, Phoenix 0
Houston 2, Los Angeles 0
|-
|2001 || 28 || 4 || .875 || Won First Round
Won Conference Finals
Won WNBA Finals || Los Angeles 2, Houston 0
Los Angeles 2, Sacramento 1
Los Angeles 2, Charlotte 0
|-
|2002 || 25 || 7 || .781 || Won First Round
Won Conference Finals
Won WNBA Finals
|| Los Angeles 2, Seattle 0
Los Angeles 2, Utah 0
Los Angeles 2, New York 1
|-
|2003 || 24 || 10 || .706 || Won First Round
Won Conference Finals
Lost WNBA Finals || Los Angeles 2, Minnesota 1
Los Angeles 2, Sacramento 1
Detroit 2, Los Angeles 1
|-
|2004 || 25 || 9 || .735 || Lost First Round || Sacramento 2, Los Angeles 1
|-
|2005 || 17 || 17 || .500 || Lost First Round || Sacramento 2, Los Angeles 0
|-
|2006 || 25 || 9 || .735 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Finals || Los Angeles 2, Seattle 1
Sacramento 2, Los Angeles 0
|-
|2007 || 10 || 24 || .294 || ||
|-
|Totals || 228 || 128 || .641 ||
|-
|Playoffs || 24 || 16 || .600 || 2 WNBA Championships ||
Stats updated August 20, 2007

Media coverage

The Sparks games not on national television are shown on Fox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket with Larry Burnett and Ann Meyers as the announcers. Burnett also calls the games on radio, on KTLK AM1150.

Players of note

Hall of Famers

Retired numbers

11 Penny Toler

Not to be forgotten

★ Latasha Byears

★ Tamecka Dixon

★ Allison Feaster

★ Ukari Figgs

★ La'Keshia Frett

★ Jennifer Gillom

★ Chamique Holdsclaw

★ Laura Macchi

★ DeLisha Milton-Jones

★ Nikki Teasley

★ Penny Toler, now the Sparks' General Manager

★ Tamika Whitmore

★ Sophia Witherspoon

★ Haixia Zheng

★ Heidi Burge

Current Roster

Coaches and others

'Head Coaches':

★ Linda Sharp (1997)

★ Julie Rosseau (1997-1998)

★ Orlando Woolridge (1998-1999)

★ Michael Cooper (1999-2004)

★ Karleen Thompson (2004)

★ Henry Bibby (2005)

★ Joe Bryant (2005-2007)

★ Michael Cooper (1999-2004, 2007-present)

External links

★ Official Sparks website

★ December 6, 2006 press release on the change of ownership