Los Angeles Sparks

The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional women's basketball team in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It competes in the Western Conference and plays its home games at Crypto.com Arena. The Sparks have won three WNBA championships (2001, 2002, 2016) and appeared in the playoffs in 20 of its 24 seasons since it was established in 1997. The success of the team has been fueled by superstars such as Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, and Kristi Toliver, the members of the "Big Three.", as per the official website of the Sparks.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Sparks underwent major roster changes. It picked up guard Kelsey Plum in a three-team trade, boosting its scoring ability. Other new faces include centers Mercedes Russell and Maria Kliundikova. The team also lost some players, including Kia Nurse, Lexi Brown, Li Yueru, Layshia Clarendon, and Zia Cooke, according to the official website of the Sparks.

Los Angeles Sparks History

The Los Angeles Sparks, established before the WNBA's first season in 1997, is notable for not being affiliated with a National Basketball Association (NBA) team even though it shares the Los Angeles market with the Lakers and Clippers. The Sparks played their inaugural game at The Forum in Inglewood against the New York Liberty, ending in a 57-67 defeat. In 1998, it recorded a 12-18 season and missed the playoffs once again.

The 1999 season marked a turning point with the rise of Lisa Leslie, leading to the Sparks' first playoff appearance and a 20-12 record. It won its first playoff series against the Sacramento Monarchs but was defeated in the Western Conference Finals by the Houston Comets in a three-game series. The Sparks captured consecutive championships in 2001 and 2002. Throughout its history, it has made the WNBA playoffs in 20 out of 24 seasons, the highest number in the league.

Also Read: Los Angeles Sparks Playoff History

Los Angeles Sparks Owner

The Los Angeles Sparks is owned by Sparks LA Sports, LLC, which comprises Magic Johnson, Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, and Eric Holoman, as of May 2025. The team was acquired by the consortium in 2014. It was previously owned by Paula Madison's Williams Group Holdings from 2011 to 2014, and by Carla Christofferson and Kathy Goodman from 2006 to 2013, with co-owner Lisa Leslie from 2011 to 2014. Between 1997 and 2006, the Sparks was owned by Jerry Buss, who also owned the Los Angeles Lakers, as per the Sparks' official website.

Los Angeles Sparks Jersey and Logo

In March 2021, the Los Angeles Sparks unveiled a new primary logo to celebrate its 25th anniversary in the WNBA. The new design is a purple palm tree with a yellow basketball at its center, surrounded by the initials "LA" in yellow. The logo is set within a purple and gold circle, with "LOS ANGELES SPARKS" written in white around the edges. The gold, purple, and yellow color scheme is a tribute to the history of the team and captures the energy of Los Angeles, according to the official website of the Sparks.

In 2021, Nike and the WNBA introduced fresh designs for all teams, including the Los Angeles Sparks, marking a significant update. Its traditional purple uniform was reimagined as part of the "Explorer" series, while a new black alternate uniform joined the lineup under the "Rebel" series. The "Rebel" uniforms, akin to the NBA's "City" edition, aim to celebrate and reflect local culture and team identity, per the official website of the Sparks.

Read More: Los Angeles Sparks Owner

Los Angeles Sparks Retired Jersey

The Los Angeles Sparks will be retiring Candace Parker's number 3 jersey on June 29, 2025. She will be the third player in the history of the team to have her jersey retired, along with Penny Toler and Lisa Leslie, according to the Sparks’ official website.

Penny Toler, who wore the number 11 jersey, was the first in WNBA history to have both a free throw and a basket in 1997. She played for the Sparks fpr three years before she was named the general manager of the team, according to the WNBA’s official website.

Lisa Leslie's number 9 jersey was retired in 2010. With the Sparks, she won two WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002. She was a three-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), and she also made history by being the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game.

Los Angeles Sparks Home Stadium

The Los Angeles Sparks play at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The arena has a capacity of 19,079 for basketball events, but it has a reduced capacity of 13,141 seats for the Sparks’ games as a result of closing the top level, according to Sports Business Journal. The Crypto.com Arena also hosts the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. The Sparks have been playing at Crypto.com Arena since 2001, having moved from The Forum, where they had been stationed for two years following the relocation of the Lakers.

Other than basketball, the Crypto.com Arena also features large concerts and has frequently been the venue for the Grammy Awards. The arena will also host gymnastics and boxing finals during the 2028 Summer Olympics, according to the official website of the Crypto.com Arena.

Los Angeles Sparks Broadcasting Details and Tickets

The Los Angeles Sparks will have a franchise-record 23 games broadcast nationally during the 2025 WNBA season. The games will be shown on ION, CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBA TV, ESPN, and Prime Video. Spectrum SportsNet is the local broadcast partner of the team, according to the official website of the Sparks.

The Los Angeles Sparks’ tickets are available through AXS.com, the team’s official ticketing provider. Fans can choose from single-game tickets, season memberships, group packages, and mini plans. Season memberships include access to all regular-season games and exclusive member experiences, as per the official website of the Sparks.

Los Angeles Sparks Coaching Staff

Lynne Roberts was appointed head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in November 2024. She has 27 years of college coaching experience, including nine seasons as the head coach of the Utah Utes, as per the official website of the Sparks.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Sparks strengthened its coaching staff with a couple of additions. Nikki Blue and Zak Buncik were added as assistant coaches in January 2025. Mike Neighbors, the former Washington and Arkansas head coach, joined the staff in March. Sed Everett was hired as director of player development, and Danielle Robinson moved from manager of basketball integration to assistant coach in April. Deonte Henderson was hired as an assistant player development coach, as per the official website of the Los Angeles Sparks.

Los Angeles Sparks Famous Players

Dearica Hamby

Dearica Hamby is an American power forward for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. Drafted sixth overall in 2015, Hamby initially played for the San Antonio Stars, later known as the Las Vegas Aces. Hamby was named the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year consecutively in 2019 and 2020. She won the WNBA Championship in 2022 with the Aces. In 2023, Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, where she has become the franchise's leading player. In 2024, she averaged 18.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, as per the WNBA official website.

Cameron Brink

Cameron Brink is an American basketball player who plays center for the Los Angeles Sparks, known for her exceptional rebounding and shooting skills. As a college freshman for the Stanford Cardinal, she won the national championship. In her sophomore year, she shared the Pac-12 Player of the Year honor and led the Cardinal to the NCAA Final Four. In her junior year, Brink was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year and set the record for most blocks in Stanford's history. During her senior season, she earned the Pac-12 Player of the Year award again. Brink has also won two gold medals with the United States at the youth level and led the national team to victory at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup. Selected as the second pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Sparks, she had an impressive debut season, averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game, as per reports.

Los Angeles Sparks Rivalries

The Lynx-Sparks rivalry is a highly anticipated fixture in the WNBA, characterized by intense playoff matchups. They faced each other back-to-back in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2016, the Sparks clinched the WNBA Finals in Game 5 with a 4-1 series lead, securing its first championship since 2002 and its third overall. Candace Parker was honoured as the Finals MVP. However, the following year, it lost Game 5 of the finals, missing out on consecutive championships.

Also Read: Los Angeles Sparks Finals Appearances

Los Angeles Sparks WNBA Records and Stats

The Los Angeles Sparks have reached the WNBA playoffs in 20 out of its 24 seasons, surpassing all other teams in the league in consistency. It advanced to the WNBA Finals in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016, and 2017, securing championships in 2001, 2002, and 2016.

Los Angeles Sparks Hall of Famers

The Los Angeles Sparks has had several Hall of Famers. Lisa Leslie, who is one of the most significant players in franchise history, is one of them. Alana Beard was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. Foreign players Margo Dydek and Zheng Haixia, who played for the Sparks, were inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2019 and 2021 respectively, according to the official website of theLos Angeles Sparks.