A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U |V | W | X | Y | Z

A

All-Decade Team
In celebration of its 10th season of competition, the WNBA unveiled an All-Decade Team at the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game. The team featured Sparks center Lisa Leslie.

All-Defensive Team
Lisa Leslie was selected to the 2008 All-Defensive 1^st Team
Lisa Leslie was selected to the 2006 All-Defensive 1^st Team
Lisa Leslie was selected to the 2005 All-Defensive 2^nd Team in 2005

All-Rookie Team
Candace Parker was selected to the 2008 WNBA All-Rookie team
Sidney Spencer was selected to the 2007 WNBA All-Rookie team
Former Sparks guard Marta Fernandez was selected to the 2007 WNBA All-Rookie team

All-Star
The Los Angeles Sparks have filled the rosters of the All-Star game, being represented by six players and Head Coach Michael Cooper since the inaugural game in 1999. Sparks legend Lisa Leslie is a three-time All-Star MVP.

All-WNBA
Lisa Leslie has been named to the All WNBA 1^st or 2^nd team in every season she’s played in.
Lisa Leslie All WNBA 1^st Team in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008
Lisa Leslie All WNBA 2^nd Team in 1998, 1999, 2005
Candace Parker earned All WNBA 1^st Team honors in 2008 as a rookie
Former Sparks guard Tamecka Dixon was named to the All WNBA 2^nd Team in 2001
Former Sparks forward Mwadi Mabika was named to the All WNBA 1^st Team in 2002
Former Sparks guard, Nikki Teasley was named to the All WNBA 2^nd Team in 2003 & 2004

B

Basketball Hall of Fame
Assistant Coach Marianne Stanley was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Stanley is the 19^th winningest basketball coach in history.

Beeman, Laura
Sparks brought assistant coach Laura Beeman into the Sparks family for the 2008 season. Beeman is currently the Head Coach at Mt. San Antonio College and brings diversity and guard development experience to the sideline.



Bobbitt, Shannon
Sparks point guard Shannon Bobbitt was drafted out of the University of Tennessee in April 2008. Bobbitt is the only Junior College player to move on to the University of Tennessee and lead the Lady Vols to back to back NCAA Champions. Bobbitt led all rookies in assists in 2008 with 3.5 assists per game.

Brown, Kiesha
Sparks guard Kiesha Brown was drafted out of the University of Georgia in 2001 and has played for the Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky and New York Liberty. Nickname is KB and started first game of her career in 2008 for the Sparks.

Burnett, Larry
Larry Burnett is in his 11th season as the “Voice” of the Los Angeles Sparks. Throughout the 2008 season, he’ll be sharing his thoughts on the team, the players, the WNBA, and just about anything that suits his fancy in Larry’s blog.

C

Champions, WNBA
The Sparks are two-time WNBA Champions with both Championships coming back to back in 2001 & 2002.

Champions, Western Conference
The Sparks have won three Western Conference Championships in the first 12 years of the WNBA, (2001, 2002 & 2003)

Christofferson, Carla
Carla Christofferson is co-owner of the Los Angeles Sparks and acquired the Sparks in December 2006 with a group of investors including other co-owner Kathy Goodman. Christofferson has been a Sparks fan since 1999 and wanted to be more involved and give fans the best experience possible. Christofferson is a partner in O'Melveny's Los Angeles office, Head of the Los Angeles office, and a member of the Business Trial and Litigation Practice. She is a member of The American Lawyer's 2004 "Litigation Department of the Year," and was recognized as a Southern California "Super Lawyer" in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Media Inc. and published in Los Angeles magazine (2005, 2006, and 2008).

Coach of the Year
Sparks Head Coach Michael Cooper garnered the WNBA Coach of the Year award in 2000 during his first year as the Sparks Head Coach in a year in which he led the Sparks to a franchise best 28-4 record.

Connecticut, University of
University of Connecticut is where current Sparks forward/center Jessica Moore played her college basketball. Moore was a four-year starter for the Huskies and helped lead them to three National Championships.

Cooper, Michael
“Coop” as he’s fondly known around Los Angeles is the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. Coop first joined the Sparks in 2000 and led them to two WNBA Championships and three Western conference Championships. After a short stint in both the NBA and D-League, Coop returned in 2007. He is the winningest coach in Sparks history.

D

Defensive Player of the Year
Sparks Center Lisa Leslie earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in both 2004 and 2008. In 2004, Leslie had a season career high 98 blocks, added 50 steals and 336 rebounds. In 2008, Leslie came just short of her career season high with 97 blocks and added 293 rebounds and 49 steals.

Draft Picks
The Sparks have chosen great players over the past 12 years and earned their highest pick, (#1), in 2008 and selected College Player of the Year Candace Parker.

Sparks Draft History

Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You
A four-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time MVP of the WNBA and the first woman ever to dunk in a professional basketball game, Lisa Leslie is considered one of the greatest players in the history of women's basketball. Now in her own words, she points the spotlight onto her remarkable life off the court, where being a confident champion was not always simple. Purchase the memoir at www.amazon.com.

E

Eastern Conference
The WNBA is divided into two conferences, East and West. The Eastern Conference claimed the first WNBA Championship when the Houston Comets topped the New York Liberty in 1997. In all, 11 franchises have played in the Eastern Conference at one time or another.

New York Liberty, 1997-present

Detroit Shock, 1998-present

Washington Mystics, 1998-present

Indiana Fever, 2000-present

Connecticut Sun (formerly Orlando Miracle), 2003-present

Chicago Sky, 2006-present

Charlotte Sting, 1997-2006

Cleveland Rockers, 1997-2004

Miami Sol, 2000-02

Orlando Miracle, 1999-2002

Houston Comets, 1997

Expect Great
With the vast influx of talent this year, the WNBA wants you to Expect Great. The Sparks’ own Candace Parker is one of the players who can be seen in the campaign ads.

F

FanAddict
As a Sparks season ticket holder, you are a Most Valuable Person (MVP) within our Sparks organization. MVP status entitles you to exclusive benefits and unprecedented access to the best women’s professional athletes in the best facility in the world! Here are 10 reasons to become and MVP today:

Personalized Attention
Invitations to Exclusive Events
Best Entertainment Value in LA
Special Discounts on Parking
Priority for Playoffs
Countless Ways to Use Tickets
Latest Sparks News
Exclusive MVP Gift
Ticket Exchange & Forwarding
STAPLES Center & Arena Club

FANtourage
Get on the Sparks "A-List"

Are you a SparksAddict?

Do you want to share the fun and excitement of being part of the Sparks family?

Would you like a chance to have a road trip with the Sparks, custom airbrushed Sparks autographed shoes and other exclusive experiences?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then FANtourage is the club for you! Join us as member of our all new FANtourage....your leads to sales can earn you these and other perks no other passionate Sparks fan can get!

Ferdinand-Harris, Marie
Sparks guard Marie Ferdinand-Harris joined the Sparks in 2008 after spending her entire career first with the Utah Starzz and then newly formed San Antonio Silver Stars. Ferdinand-Harris took 2006 off to have her first child in June 2006. With the Silver Stars, Ferdinand-Harris started 148 out of 180 games and in her first year with the Sparks started 25 of 33 games she played in.

Finals, WNBA
The Sparks have made three trips to the WNBA Finals in 2001, 2002 & 2003. The Sparks won Championships in 2001 & 2002 and had their 3-peat spoiled by the Detroit Shock in 2003.

Florida, University of
The University of Florida has given the Sparks dynamic players in DeLisha Milton-Jones and Murriel Page. Milton-Jones is an all-star forward that helped lead the Sparks to back to back WNBA Championships in 2001 & 2002. Page joined the Sparks in 2006 and has given the Sparks solid play off the bench included significant contributions in 2006 & 2007.

G

Georgia, University of
Sparks players Christi Thomas and Kiesha Brown are Georgia peaches and graduates of the University of Georgia. Brown came out of UGA in 2001 and Thomas followed in 2004.

Goodman, Kathy
A season seat holder since the team’s inception in 1997, Kathy Goodman acquired the Los Angeles Sparks after ten seasons of sitting in the stands as a fan. A regular at Sparks games and WNBA events, Goodman and co-owner Carla Christofferson created a vision of community and family for her favorite professional sports team and now has the opportunity to see that vision through. Currently, Goodman teaches high school English and Social Studies at HighTechHigh-LA, an LAUSD-dependent charter school in the San Fernando Valley, recently named a California Distinguished School.

Great Western Forum
The Los Angeles Sparks called the Great Western Forum home from 1997 to 2001 before moving to STAPLES Center for the 2002 season.

H

Home Court Advantage
“It’s Like Airline Miles for Basketball.” This FREE Sparks rewards program allows fans to enjoy rewards like these: honorary coach, a game of horse, an official team picture, and game tickets. It’s easy to earn points, simply purchase Sparks tickets, attend home games and special events, and patronize HCA partners. To speak with someone to enroll, call Sparks Community and Fan Relations Coordinator Denise Herron at (213) 929-1328, Monday through Friday 9AM - 6PM PST.

I

Influencer Event
Host a Sparks influencer event with friends, family, co-workers, and other basketball fans and have Lakers legend and Sparks Head Coach Michael Cooper in attendance! Simply get a group of people together who you think might be interested in purchasing season tickets and we'll take care of the rest, including entertainment, food, soft drinks, raffle prizes and even the venue, if you prefer to not host the event at your house. We will also give you a pair of courtside tickets to a Sparks home game of your choice during the 2008 season if six (6) season tickets are purchased at the event. To find out how you can get more involved with the Sparks, contact Sparks Client Services Coordinator Gina Fabrocini at (213) 929-1304 or gfabrocini@la-sparks.com

Italy
Sparks guard Raffaella Masciadri hails from Italy and began playing in the Italian A1 league in 1996. Masciadri has won four Italian Championships.

J

Johnson, Temeka
Temeka Johnson won the 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year award, ranking second in the league in assists in her first year. Coming back from an injury-plagued season in 2007, Johnson is known around the league as a veteran point guard. Drafted originally to the Washington Mystics from LSU in 2005, Johnson has averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 assists over her career.

K

KTLK
Tune in to LA’s Progressive Talk AM 1150 – KTLK – to catch all of the live action for the Sparks with the voice of the Sparks, Larry Burnett.

L

Leslie, Lisa
Lisa Leslie is widely known across the league as the face of the WNBA. The three-time WNBA MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA Champion and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist has scored more points and pulled down more rebounds than any player in the history of the WNBA. Leslie has started in every game she’s played in and for her impressive 11 year career is averaging 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks are in their 12th season in the Women’s National Basketball Association. The Sparks are one of the eight original teams in the WNBA. In December 2006, the Sparks were purchased by Gemini Basketball, LLC and they are one of seven WNBA teams owned and operated independent of NBA teams. For the first time in franchise history, the Sparks won the top pick for the 2008 WNBA Draft and selected college basketball player of the year Candace Parker of two-time NCAA champion Tennessee. The Sparks were led to back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2001 & 2002 by head coach Michael Cooper. The team’s roster of star athletes is led by three-time league MVP Lisa Leslie and includes All-Star forward DeLisha Milton-Jones, 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year Temeka Johnson, stand-out 2007 rookie Sidney Spencer and Parker. The Sparks play their home games at STAPLES Center in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. For Sparks’ ticket information, call 1-877-44-SPARKS.

Louisiana State University
LSU has delivered to the Sparks stand-out players Temeka Johnson and Marie Ferdinand-Harris. Both Johnson and Ferdinand-Harris were part of the 2008 team that returned the Sparks to the playoffs after missing them in 2007. Both received many awards and accolades during their time at LSU including a 2001 Kodak All-American selection for Ferdinand-Harris and an AP All-America Second Team selection for Johnson.

M

Masciadri, Raffaella
Rafaella Masciadri is no stranger to the Los Angeles Sparks; she was originally signed as a free agent in 2004 and played for two seasons and then returned again in 2008 as a free agent. Masciadri brings the shooter’s touch to the Sparks backcourt and has averaged 3.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in three seasons in the WNBA.

Milton-Jones, DeLisha
All-star forward DeLisha Milton-Jones returned to the Sparks in 2008 after a short stint with the Washington Mystics. DeLisha, also known as “D-nasty” and alternatively “Sunshine” has brought leadership and heart to the Sparks team in every season she’s played in. Milton-Jones was also selected to participate in her second Olympic games in Beijing in 2008 in which she won her second gold medal. The first coming at the Olympic games in Sidney. Milton-Jones has been selected to two All-Star teams and has started 280 of 299 career games she’s played in.

Moore, Jessica
Jessica Moore was drafted out of the University of Connecticut and is a three-time National Champion with the Huskies. Moore completed her third season with the Sparks in 2008 and had a career year in 2006 starting in 33 of 34 games and averaging 4.3 points.

MVP
As a Sparks season ticket holder, you are the Most Valuable Person (MVP) to our organization and we will treat you like one. In addition to discounts over single game prices and seat priority, your MVP status entitles you to exclusive benefits and unprecedented access to your Los Angeles Sparks. For more information, call 877-44-SPARKS.

MVP, All-Star Game
Among her many awards and dominating career in the WNBA, Lisa Leslie also has All-Star game MVP awards to add to her resume. Leslie won the All-Star game MVP award in 1999, 2001 & 2002.

MVP, WNBA
The Sparks have two current players that have received the Most Valuable Player award in the WNBA, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker.

Lisa Leslie, WNBA MVP 2001, 2004, 2006

Candace Parker, WNBA MVP 2008



MVP, WNBA Finals
During the Sparks back-to-back Championship run, Lisa Leslie garnered WNBA Finals MVP awards in 2001 & 2002.

N

O

Ole Skool Crew
With a motto of “Fabulous and Over Forty,” the Ole Skool Crew brings smooth moves and high energy to the Los Angeles Sparks halftime shows. As the premier halftime performers for the Los Angeles Sparks, the Ole Skool Crew made up of incredibly talented and truly blessed women over 40, are strutting their stuff, raising the roof, and inspiring the crowd to “jump up out of their seats” during the Sparks home games at the STAPLES Center.

Olympic Games
For the 2008 games in Beijing, the Sparks were the only team on the league to be represented by three players from their team. The Sparks sent Olympic star Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones and rookie Candace Parker. Leslie won her fourth straight gold medal and improved her Olympic Games record to an impeccable 32-0.

P

Page, Murriel
Current Sparks forward Murriel Page is in her 10 season out of the University of Florida. Page was drafted to the Washington Mystics in 1998 and was traded to the Sparks in 2006. Page has started 204 of 327 games played during her career and is averaging 6.1 points and 4.5 rebounds for her career.

Parker, Candace
Perhaps the most celebrated rookie ever, Candace Parker was drafted by the Sparks with the #1 overall draft pick in 2008. Parker did not disappoint in her rookie year getting to a quick start by nearly achieving a triple-double in her first WNBA game. Parker is the only player in the history of the WNBA to record a 5x5 game, the second player in the history of the league to dunk the ball, which she did in back to back games and the ONLY player to ever win the MVP award and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Parker led the league in rebounding in 2008 and led all rookies in scoring, rebounds, blocked shots and minutes per game.

Peak Performer
The Sparks have several players both past and present who have taken away postseason Peak Performer awards.

Haixia Zheng took the Western Conference Shooting Champion award in 1997

Latasha Byears took the Peak Performer award in 2001 for best FG%

In 2004, Lisa Leslie won the Peak Performer award for rebounding

Candace Parker garnered the Peak Performer award for rebounding in 2008

Q

R

Road Trips
Calling all Sparks Fans...Don’t miss your opportunity to travel like the team when we pile in to the Sparks Party Bus and Plane to follow the team on the road and show Sparks support! If you just can't get enough of your Sparks, these are the trips for you! For more information contact Sparks Client Services Coordinator Gina Fabrocini at gfabrocini@la-sparks.com or Sparks Community and Fan Relations Coordinator Denise Herron at dherron@la-sparks.com.

Rookie of the Year
Sparks forward Candace Parker brought the Rookie of the Year award to Los Angeles in 2008. The first by any Sparks player.

In 2007, Sidney Spencer had a stand-out rookie year and was a finalist for the 2007 ROY award.

Sparks point guard Temeka Johnson won the 2005 Rookie of the Year award as a player for the Washington Mystics.

S

Slam Dunk
The Sparks have the only two players to dunk in the WNBA. Lisa Leslie threw down the league’s first dunk in 2002 and Candace Parker followed suit in 2008 with the league’s second and third dunks in back to back games.

Sparky
Sparks co-owner Carla Christofferson dreamed up Sparky, an oversized mascot dog that entertains the crowd during breaks in the game. Sparky can be seen at every game, electrifying the crowd with his charm and charisma.

Spencer, Sidney
Sparks guard Sidney Spencer is a sharp shooter. In her rookie season, Spencer led the Sparks in points, (327) and led all rookies in 3pt field goal percentage. Spencer is one of the Sparks most popular young players and is the only rookie to compete in the 2007 All-Star weekend events. Drafted out of the University of Tennessee in 2007.

Stanley, Marianne
Hall-of-Fame coach Marianne Stanley rejoined the Sparks staff as an assistant coach in 2008. Stanley's decorated basketball career began as a two-time national champion while playing at Immaculata College near Philadelphia. She joined the coaching ranks at age 23, and guided Old Dominion University to three national championships. Stanley has also served as head coach at the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Southern California, where she coached outstanding players such as Lisa Leslie. Stanley posted a 416-222 (.652) record in 21 seasons as a college head coach, guiding her teams to 10 NCAA Tournament berths. Three times her teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four, and five times reached at least the Elite Eight.

STAPLES Center
The Los Angeles Sparks have called STAPLES Center home since the 2001 WNBA season. Prior to that, the Sparks played their home games at The Great Western Forum.

T

Tennessee, University of
The University of Tennessee has been good to the Sparks giving us three stand-out players, Sidney Spencer in 2007 and Shannon Bobbitt and Candace Parker in 2008. The three won a national championship together in 2007 and Bobbitt and Parker led the Lady Vols to back-to-back championships in 2007 & 2008.

Theme Nights
Celebrate each Sparks home game with a different theme. This season’s highlights were “Mother/Daughter & Girl Scout Night” on June 22 and “Dads & Daughters Night” on July 3. For more information contact Sparks Community & Fan Relations Coordinator Denise Herron at dherron@la-sparks.com.

Thomas, Christi
A first-round draft pick of the Sparks in 2004, Christi Thomas is in her 5th season with the team. In 2007, she averaged a career-best 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. Expectations were high until she sidelined mid-way through the season due to injury in 2008.

Tickets
The Los Angeles Sparks offer a wide variety of single game ticket specials at a great value. For 2009, we have teamed up with our partners to offer you the most exclusive ticket specials. Ticket specials may be purchased by going to www.lasparks.com (depending on ticket special discount) or at the STAPLES Center Box Office. All ticket specials are subject to availability, valid only at time of purchase, certain restrictions apply. For more information, call 877-44-SPARKS.

Toler, Penny
Toler was a point guard allocated to the Los Angeles Sparks during the player initiation round in the 1997 WNBA draft. She is most commonly remembered as the first player to score a basket in the WNBA. She did so against the New York Liberty on June 21, 1997 at the Los Angeles Great Western Forum. Toler also made the first free throw in the WNBA history. In November 1999 she retired as a player to become the general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks. Immediately after taking on a management role, she would assemble the Los Angeles Sparks roster that would become the championship team in 2001. Among all professional men or women sports league, Toler would become the fastest person to go from a player to general manager status to winning a championship in the short span of just 2 years.

Triple Doubles

The Sparks have two current players that have made history with triple-doubles in the WNBA.

Lisa Leslie recorded 29 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks against the Detroit Shock in September of 2004.

Margo Dydek recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks against the Orlando Miracle in June of 2001.

U

University of Southern California
All Trojan fans unite in thanking the University of Southern California for housing Lisa Leslie. The most decorated player to date in the WNBA has led the Sparks to two WNBA Championships, been the league MVP three-times and is the most dominant women’s basketball Olympian in U.S. history. During her time at USC, Leslie set the PAC 10 scoring bar high and still owns the record at 2,414 points was the National Player of the Year as a senior and led the Women of Troy to the NCAA tournament in all four seasons she was there.

V

W

Western Conference
The WNBA’s Western Conference has been the dominant conference in the league with seven of the first ten champions coming from the West. Only the Detroit Shock and Houston Comets have won a WNBA Championship from the Eastern Conference (Houston was in the Eastern Conference during the 1997 season). In all, nine franchises have played in the West at one time or another.

Los Angeles Sparks, 1997-present

Phoenix Mercury, 1997-present

Sacramento Monarchs, 1997-present

Houston Comets, 1998-present

Minnesota Lynx, 1999-present

Seattle Storm, 2000-present

San Antonio Silver Stars (formerly Utah Starzz), 2002-present

Portland Fire, 2000-2002

Utah Starzz, 1997-2002

Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
The NBA Board of Governors approved the concept of the Women's National Basketball Association on April 24, 1996 with its first season of competition to begin in the summer of 1997. On October 30, 1996, the league selected eight cities to host the WNBA's charter teams - Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah. The league currently operates with 13 franchises. These franchises are split into two conferences (the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference).

X

Y

Z