Ever since Candace Parker’s departure from the team following the 2020 season in the bubble, the Los Angeles Sparks have been in a state of flux.
The season before, the Sparks were one of the participants in the semifinals following a 22-12 regular season. In 2020, Los Angeles was ousted from postseason play at the hands of the Connecticut Sun for the second consecutive season.
Since then, the Sparks have been on the outside looking in of the playoffs for the previous four seasons. In 2021, the Sparks were 12-20 with no playoffs. In 2022, Los Angeles was 13-23 with no playoffs. In 2023, the team improved slightly to 17-23 as the season expanded from 36 to 40 games, but still no playoffs.
Last season, despite making a big splash in the much-ballyhooed 2024 WNBA Draft with Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles still did not see any playoffs following a dismal 8-32 showing – the worst record in the W. Brink being injured for much of the season which prevented a potential Defensive Player of the Year campaign did not help matters.
General manager Raegan Pebley had to make a splash. Pebley did so by being part of that three-team trade that netted Kelsey Plum from the Las Vegas Aces in a deal that also sent Jewell Loyd to the Seattle Storm. This added a veteran two guard with championship pedigree to a team that already included Brink, Jackson, Azurá Stevens and Dearica Hamby – Plum’s former teammate in Sin City.
In addition, Los Angeles needed someone to serve in the stead of former Sun coach Curt Miller who was only at the helm of the Sparks for one season. Miller took the general manager job at the Dallas Wings following Amber Cox departing to replace Lin Dunn at the Indiana Fever.
The Sparks decided on Lynne Roberts to assume the coaching role. Following the Sparks season-opening victory over its new in-state rival Golden State Valkyries, the outlook for Los Angeles became gloomy.
With two games remaining prior to the All-Star break, the Sparks were at 6-14 – eight games below the .500 mark. For those who say it does not rain in Southern California, there were darkening clouds hovering over Crypto.com Arena.
Then, the Sparks made a second-half push that has led the team to where it is one loss behind the Indiana Fever for the eighth and final playoff berth as of this writing. Indiana currently enjoys 21 victories to 19 for the Sparks and the worst record Los Angeles can finish with at this stage of the season is 19-25.
That would likely still have Los Angeles outside of the playoff picture, but this has already been a successful Sparks campaign regardless of what happens.
There are not too many places to go but up – and the Sparks have shown that Plum’s veteran presence – along with the chemistry she has with Hamby – has provided a massive boon for Los Angeles’ efforts. That fused together with Stevens’ veteran instincts and the ability for all three to be mentors to Brink and Jackson have the Sparks firmly set up as a team of the future.
In addition to Plum, Hamby, Jackson, Brink and Stevens, Odyssey Sims and Rae Burrell have proven to be formidable x-factors for Los Angeles.
The Sparks can firmly solidify themselves as a team of the future if the front office does what is necessary in terms of state-of-the-art practice facilities. In today’s big budget WNBA where players are doing a much better job at vetting organizations, facilities are queen.
The Sparks – similar to the Chicago Sky – are an organization where it should be able to sell itself because of the city the Sparks play in and how fans fill up Crypto.com Arena on a consistent basis. But it is difficult to convince free agents to play for either the Sparks or Sky if the front office operates as if the team is playing in Bakersfield or Peoria.
Los Angeles will be running the gauntlet in its finishing four contests of the regular season. Following its recent loss at the Atlanta Dream, the Sparks will be at the same Dream on Friday, at home to host the Wings, at the Phoenix Mercury and finishing the season vs. the Aces.
This team has posted its highest win total since that 2019 semifinals season. Six years later, it appears playoff contender status is once again real for the purple, gold and teal.
