It’s been a historic week for the Los Angeles Sparks, filled with disappointment, optimism and a vision for the franchise’s future.
The first event was the hardest one to deal with. The WNBA Draft Lottery took place on Sunday, and despite the Sparks having the highest odds of securing the top selection at 44.2 percent, they walked away with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
With UConn’s Paige Bueckers viewed as the clear No. 1 pick and a generational talent, missing out on her is a devastating blow for an organization that needs that kind of excitement surrounding it.
To be clear, the No. 2 pick will present the Sparks with plenty of exciting prospects to choose from, like USC’s Kiki Iriafen or Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles. But Bueckers’ status is similar to that of Caitlin Clark, a clear No. 1 pick—who the Sparks just missed out on. The Dallas Wings can rejoice in having the opportunity to draft Paige, and the Sparks will have to move on.
A state-of-the-art facility is coming to LA
A point of contention amongst Sparks fans has been the desire for the team to have their own practice facility. The Sparks currently have to run practices at El Camino College, working around the college’s schedule. This pales in comparison to teams like the Las Vegas Aces, who have world-class facilities they can access whenever they desire.
Having to borrow someone else’s gym will soon be a thing of the past. The Sparks announced on Thursday morning that they would be building a new state-of-the-art practice facility.
Breaking: LA Sparks Retain Transwestern to Source State-of-the-Art Practice Facility
“We are building more than a practice facility; we are investing in the future of women’s basketball in Los Angeles,” said Eric Holoman, LA Sparks Governor and Managing Partner.
— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) November 21, 2024
No timeline has yet been given, and the location will be announced at a later date, but needless to say, this is long overdue and a pleasant surprise. The organization issued a statement about this new facility:
We are building more than a practice facility; we are investing in the future of women’s basketball in Los Angeles. This facility is part of a broader vision to elevate the LA Sparks as the premier franchise in the WNBA and to create an environment where our players have every resource they need to achieve greatness. Los Angeles is a city of champions, and we are determined to bring that winning legacy to the Sparks.
Lynne Roberts is introduced to LA
With a new rookie and practice facility on the way, the organization introduced new head coach Lynne Roberts Thursday afternoon inside the Sparks’ home, Crypto.com Arena.
She entered with general manager, Raegan Pebley alongside her, taking questions in front of media members and a handful of players, including Cameron Brink, Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell.
The coach and general manager talked for nearly 40 minutes, discussing the hiring process, basketball philosophies and optimism for the Sparks’ future. Roberts’ opening statement clearly outlined her goals while being aware of the challenges ahead:
This should be the best organization, program, team, in the W. I’m a competitor at heart. I’m up for the challenge and I know there’s going to be peaks valleys and all the stuff. But I’m here to do what I can and do my part to win as many games as we can and get that championship culture back here.
There’s obviously a storied history here, three titles, some incredible names have come through here, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie, Nneka [Ogwumike], like, there’s some unbelievable players, and, I’m looking at three right here that I think are pretty unbelievable, too. We’re going to do just fine. I want to compete, I want to win now, I know that’s easier said than done, but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get started.
The former Utah Utes head coach is familiar with the tough challenges that come with a rebuild. When she took over at Utah, the team missed the NCAA Tournament four years in a row and was unranked for even longer. But during her nine-plus years there, the Utes would reach the NCAA Tournament three times and rise to as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll. She also was named the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
The turnaround in LA might be her toughest task yet, as the Sparks just registered their worst winning percentage in franchise history and have not made the playoffs since 2020. With a young nucleus in place and another top draft pick in hand, the hope is that Los Angeles can be back in contention sooner rather than later.
The Sparks have checked off some boxes on their offseason to-do list. Next up will be the Golden State Expansion Draft on Dec. 6, followed by free agency in February and the WNBA Draft on April 14. So while the offseason is considered a time for rest, basketball never sleeps, and there are even fewer hours to kick back when you’re at the bottom looking for a way up.
