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2015 Record
14-20
Lost in Conference Semifinals to eventual champion Minnesota Lynx

Key Offseason Moves
Re-signed Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike
Signed Essence Carson
Traded Erin Phillips to Wings
Acquired Chelsea Gray from Sun

Draft Picks
R2, P3 – Whitney Knight, G, Florida Gulf Coast
R2, P11 – Brianna Butler, G, Syracuse
R3, P5 – Talia Walton, F, Washington

After a disappointing 2015 season in which they finished under .500 for the second straight year, the Los Angeles Sparks made a flurry of moves to improve their roster heading into this year. The roster overhaul has been surrounded by a wave of optimism, and second-year Sparks coach Brian Agler will look to get the Sparks out of the first-round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Agler led the Seattle Storm to a WNBA championship in 2010.

The biggest boost to the roster will be having superstar Candace Parker, who played only 16 games last season, for a full season. Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP and two-time USA Olympic gold medalist, will look to return to her perch as an MVP frontrunner and leader of a title contender. She averaged 19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 per game last season for the Sparks — numbers unmatched in WNBA history.

“She’s even a better player than I anticipated,” Agler said of Parker. “I anticipate she’ll have a real strong season. If you look at her numbers in the 16 games played last season, you can’t be anything but impressed. Her work ethic, leadership and those things have been extremely good. I’m looking for her to do her thing and elevate the play of others.”

One of the Sparks’ newest players, trade acquisition Riquna Williams, is out for the season due to a ruptured Achilles. The team signed Essence Carson to soften the blow shortly thereafter, however. Carson started 12 of 33 games last season for the Liberty, but was an All-Star in 2011 and will provide a veteran presence and leadership on the roster.

She joins Parker, Alana Beard, Jantel Lavender, Nneka Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver to give L.A. six former All-Stars on its roster.

Just how high are the expectations for the Sparks this season?

“I think we can be really competitive,” Agler said. “We want to work every day to put ourselves in position to win a championship.”