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The Los Angeles Sparks are one of the most storied franchises in WNBA history.
The team has appeared in five WNBA Finals across the league’s 28-year run, claiming three championships in those runs.
L.A. is in not just a championship drought, however, but a postseason drought. The Sparks haven’t even made the playoffs since Hall of Fame power forward/center Candace Parker departed for her hometown Chicago Sky after a Defensive Player of the Year season in 2020.
The Sparks have fired three head coaches since Parker left: Derek Fisher (who went 54-46 during his four seasons with the team), Fred Williams (a midseason interim Fisher replacement, who went 8-16 to finish out the team’s 2022 run), and Curt Miller (25-55 in two seasons).
Now, the club is looking to the future with new head coach Lynne Roberts, a recent Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
What better time than now for a look back at the Sparks’ best former coaches?
This is something of a no-brainer. Cooper was the legendary head coach during the Sparks’ first dynastic era under three-time MVP center Lisa Leslie.
Cooper led the Sparks to three consecutive WNBA Finals between 2001-03, including wins in 2001 and ’02. He resigned midway through L.A.’s 2004 season, with a 14-6 record. He eventually returned to the franchise in 2007, and stuck with L.A. through 2009. He guided the Candace Parker-era iteration of the team to a pair of Conference Finals berths.
A former 1987 Defensive Player of the Year with the Los Angeles Lakers, who was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this past fall, posted a 167-85 overall regular season record during his tenure with the Sparks. Cooper led the Sparks to a 25-13 postseason record.
He brought L.A. to six Conference Finals appearances, and only missed the playoffs once during his eight completed seasons with the team.
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Cooper also enjoyed a solid run with the Atlanta Dream from 2014-17, guiding the franchise to a pair of playoff appearances in four years, including one second round run. A disciple of Hall of Fame former Lakers coach Pat Riley during his playing days, the 6-foot-7 former pro most recently served as an assistant coach at Cal State L.A. in 2023.
Angler coached the Sparks to an 85-51 regular season record from 2015-18. His 13-9 postseason run includes two straight Finals appearances from 2016-17.
That Parker-Nneka Ogwumike-Chelsea Gray Sparks core claimed a title in 2016 under Angler’s tutelage.
More Los Angeles Sparks: Top 5 Candace Parker Moments With The Sparks
Angler, who also won a WNBA championship and the WNBA Coach of the Year Award with the Seattle Storm in 2010 (he was also their GM), resigned from his role with L.A. at the end of the 2018 season.
Candace Parker in the 2016 WNBA Finals was unreal. @Candace_Parker @LA_Sparks
Salute 👑 (via @wnba) pic.twitter.com/ogvgkTgxb2
— WSLAM (@wslam) April 19, 2020
He joined the Dallas Wings in 2019, but only lasted there for two seasons.
He has served as the athletic director at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, since 2021.
Although she never brought the Sparks all the way to a title, she led Parker to her second MVP season in 2013, and helped navigate L.A. to a 58-32 overall record in the regular season and 3-4 playoff record during her two-and-a-half years in charge. She was replaced midway through 2014 by GM Penny Toler.
Ross was honored as the WNBA Coach of the Year for her efforts on the 2012 Sparks, who went 24-10 and advanced to the WNBA Western Conference Semifinals.
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, was the other contender for this final slot. He, too, led the club for two seasons-and-change and posted a solid 40-24 record and 2-5 playoff record.
More Los Angeles Sparks:
Sparks Retiring Candace Parker’s Jersey — What We Know
The Top 5 All-Time Sparks Scorers
Ranking The Sparks’ Three Championship Teams
Every Caitlin Clark Appearance vs Sparks in 2025 Season
For the latest Los Angeles Sparks news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Sparks On SI.
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