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The Los Angeles Sparks are coming off their fourth consecutive season of missing the WNBA playoffs. The last time the team made the postseason was during the bubble year in 2020 when they were eliminated in the second round after receiving a first round bye as the No. 3 seed. But with new head coach Lynne Roberts in place, she affirmed that competing for championships is always the goal for the Sparks and she believes she can get the roster to do so.
Lynne Roberts spoke to media during an introductory press conference on Thursday where she expressed her excitement at the Sparks’ roster and how she feels like they aren’t too far off in terms of being a contending team.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we had a really strong roster in place, and the opportunity to bring in a couple of pieces where that’s realistic. It is going to be easy, no. Is it going to be challenging, absolutely. It is possible, for sure, that’s the goal,” Roberts said. “In LA and with this organization, that’s gonna be our goal. . .I think we have an incredible core group. We’ve got kind of a cool combination of veteran leadership. . .then we’ve got a really dynamic young group.”
Roberts is inheriting a Sparks roster that includes two 2024 lottery picks in Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. Both players have the makings of being foundational pieces. Jackson was an All-Rookie Team selection this past season and Brink showed signs of being an elite defensive player before her season-ending ACL injury.
Sparks looking for return to prominence under Lynne Roberts
One of the original WNBA franchises, the Sparks trail only the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm in championships when it comes to current teams. They are tied with the Phoenix Mercury and Dallas Wings/Tulsa Shock at three apiece.
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Winning is something this franchise is used to, but hasn’t done a lot of in recent seasons. But with the continued development of the players on the current roster, along with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Sparks could be on pace for a quicker rebuild.
Although the hope in Los Angeles was to secure the No. 1 pick, and potentially draft UConn star Paige Bueckers as the franchise’s point guard of the future, they can still get a cornerstone player at No. 2.
The pressure to win is something that Roberts believes she is well-equipped for.
“No one is going to put more pressure on me than I put on me. So whether that’s in LA or wherever, I welcome it,” Roberts said. “That’s what I do. When it’s just me and my thoughts, I put a ton of pressure on myself to succeed. And as a competitor and as someone that kind of thrives in pressure, being in this market, being in LA, it sounds like heaven to me.”
The Sparks will have the expansion draft to prepare for next month where they will select six players to protect as the Golden State Valkyries begin building their roster. That will be followed by the WNBA free agency period in January.
