LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Sparks have long been tied to drought in more ways than one. Beyond the city’s weather talk, the team faces its own drought with six straight seasons without a playoff appearance and no WNBA Finals appearance since 2017. Relief does not seem close, but is there a way to turn this organization around?
On July 12, Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley was terminated after being hired in January 2024. Pebley hired her friend and former Utah head coach Lynne Roberts as head coach in Los Angeles. Despite her basketball knowledge, Roberts has not been consistently impressive on the sidelines. In the past two seasons, Roberts has a 33-48 record and has contributed to the franchise’s playoff drought. The team acquired Kelsey Plum, a basketball star and two-time WNBA champion, but it still was not enough to get the Sparks back on track. Nneka Ogwumike, the 2012 first-round pick who won a championship with the franchise in 2016, eventually departed for Seattle in 2024. Even with Ogwumike returning for her final season after a two-year run with the Storm, it still wasn’t enough to lift the team higher. Plum eventually saw the writing on the wall and sought new surroundings that didn’t include the Sparks in her plans. Plum was eventually traded to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-rounder. The Plum-to-Los Angeles experience was, unfortunately, a failure.
With no permanent general manager, it is clear that if Sparks ownership is truly serious about this organization’s greatness and WNBA championships, Roberts is not the answer as head coach. It’s time to cut bait and clean house.
Sparks president Stacy Johns told Nitecast Media and assured that ownership is committed to winning and fully invested.
“I think this is a message that says our owners are investing, and it’s important,” Johns said during the tour of the L.A. Sparks’ new practice facility. “Championship culture is built when you’re together, so putting this facility together, putting basketball in the front office together, trying to create a real culture and a real home for us to be a part of, I think is a massive statement to fans that our owners want to win.“
Beyond the Sparks organization’s long-overdue commitment to a brand-new, state-of-the-art $150 million practice facility in El Segundo, the ownership group has not shown the same level of visibility or urgency to the media.
Not only is it time to find a quality general manager who needs full autonomy to work with Johns, but also to select the right head coach and make the essential player-personnel moves for success. If Roberts is eventually terminated from her duties as head coach, there is a list of better-qualified candidates the organization should strongly consider.
Teresa Weatherspoon, Kristi Toliver, Briann January, Lindsey Harding, Ebony Hoffman, and Lisa Leslie all warrant strong consideration. Weatherspoon coached for one season with the Chicago Sky before being terminated, yet she has the experience and a vibe that players can gravitate towards. January currently serves as an assistant coach with the Indiana Fever under head coach Stephanie White, building rapport with players. Harding currently serves as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers under head coach JJ Redick. A former WNBA player, Harding also coached the Lakers’ G League team to a championship. If selected, Harding could bring some of that NBA terminology to the WNBA sidelines, much like we saw Becky Hammon do with the Las Vegas Aces after coming over from the San Antonio Spurs. Toliver currently serves as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Mercury under head coach Nate Tibbets. Toliver has not only championship experience as a WNBA player but has also helped guide dynamic players such as Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and others. Toliver has gained experience, shown dedication to the game, and prepared herself for the opportunity to run her own team when the time comes.
Leslie is not only a two-time WNBA champion, someone who is still connected to the league, but also, as a coach, has had success in Ice Cube’s Big 3 Basketball league, coaching teams to championship titles. Leslie expressed last year that the head coaching process was disappointing and showed the lack of some teams’ commitment to ultimately winning and opportunity. Hoffman has served as an assistant coach under Noelle Quinn with the Storm in Seattle and is currently an assistant coach for the Sparks. Leslie is not only a great ambassador to the game, but during the WNBA 30th anniversary game between the Sparks and New York Liberty, Leslie took the initiative to speak to the Sparks players pregame. Each player rallied around her as if she were coaching the game, listening intently and paying attention without interruption, which spoke volumes about how natural a fit Leslie was on the sidelines.
If Sparks ownership is truly committed to investing and winning, then the General Manager candidates should at least include Swin Cash and Pokey Chatman, who currently serves as Seattle Storm assistant GM. Along with the named coaching candidates, if you want visibility in the city ruled by the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, and, at times, USC Football, drastic times call for drastic measures. Otherwise, it’s nothing but lip service and empty calories that will continue to be recycled disappointments, underachievement, and a total disservice to the Sparks players, future draftees, fanbase, and basketball fans as a whole. It’s time to stop talking about it and be about that action.
