Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began. Like some other WNBA teams, the Sparks have the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart, even though the market is shared with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. As of 2020, the Sparks are the most recent franchise to win back-to-back titles.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss owned the Sparks from 1997 to 2006 when Williams Group Holdings purchased the team. It was previously the sister team of the Los Angeles Lakers. As of 2014, the Sparks are owned by Sparks LA Sports, LLC.
The Sparks have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in twenty of their twenty-four years in Los Angeles, more than any other team in the league. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as 6 foot 4 inch center Tennessee standout Candace Parker, flashy point guard Nikki Teasley, and nearby USC products Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson. In 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016 and 2017, the Sparks went to the WNBA Finals. They won the title in 2001, 2002, and 2016, beating Charlotte, New York, and Minnesota respectively, but fell short to Detroit in 2003 and Minnesota in 2017.
Being in a major national market, the Sparks have always been a focal point of the league; they faced New York in the league's inaugural game on June 21, 1997.
38.8% (469 games) played in Nike brand shoes
23.6% (285 games) played in Adidas brand shoes
18.8% (227 games) played in Jordan brand shoes
5.5% (66 games) played in Puma brand shoes
5.1% (62 games) played in Reebok brand shoes
3.1% (38 games) played in Peak brand shoes
2.1% (25 games) played in Skechers brand shoes
1.2% (15 games) played in New Balance brand shoes
1.1% (13 games) played in Under Armour brand shoes
0.8% (10 games) played in Moolah brand shoes
2025-06-21 / NiceKicks
On this day 28 years ago, the WNBA started their inaugural season with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the New York Liberty 🏀 Penny Toler scored the first two points in WNBA history while wearing the Nike Air Max Uptempo 👟 The Liberty were showcasing their star Rebecca Lobo against LA native Lisa Leslie with both players scoring 16 points each 🔥 New York won the game 67-57 in front of a sold out crowd at The Forum. It’s great to see the League thriving more than ever in 2024 📈
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2025-06-07 / Boardroom
The New York Liberty are now the most valuable team in the WNBA, valued at $400 million after a recent minority stake sale. It’s the highest valuation ever for a women’s sports franchise anywhere in the world. League-wide, business is booming. Attendance hit 2.4 million in 2024, a 48% jump from the year before, and more than 54 million unique viewers tuned in to national broadcasts. Average team valuations are now $272 million, with every franchise worth at least $190 million. It’s a clear signal that the WNBA’s momentum is translating into real financial growth. (via Forbes)
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