2019 Los Angeles Sparks season

The 2019 Los Angeles Sparks season was the 23rd season for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association.

During the off-season, head coach Brian Agler resigned and accepted the head coach position with the Dallas Wings. On December 5, former NBA player Derek Fisher was announced as the new head coach.

The Sparks started the season with a 6-6 record in the first two months. Their good form continued into August, with the team going 8–4 and putting together a five game win streak. The turn around game mostly at home, with the Sparks posting a 9–0 home record during July and August. The team finished out the season with three straight wins at home. Their 22–12 overall record, secured them the third seed in the playoffs.

After earning a bye in the first round, the Sparks easily defeated the Seattle Storm at home, 92–69. This set up a semifinal matchup with the Connecticut Sun. The Sparks lost the first two road games in the series, and couldn't win the third game at home. The Sun swept the Sparks to end their season.

After the 2019 season, Penny Toler was dismissed as general manager. Her dismissal came among rumors that she entered the locker room after a playoff game and gave a "obscenity-laced speech that also included several racial epithets".

Transactions

WNBA draft

Trades/Roster Changes

Roster

Game log

Preseason

|- | 1 | May 11 | @ Phoenix Mercury | L 75–82 | Walker (16) | Tied (7) | Jones (5) | Talking Stick Resort Arena<br>3,751 | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 17 | Seattle Storm | W 92–85 | N. Ogwumike (18) | N. Ogwumike (7) | Jones (6) | Hutto-Patterson Gym<br>N/A | 1–1

Regular season

|- | 1 | May 26 | @ Las Vegas Aces | L 70–83 | Vadeeva (24) | N. Ogwumike (11) | 3 tied (4) | Mandalay Bay Events Center<br>7,249 | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 31 | Connecticut Sun | W 77–70 | C. Ogwumike (20) | N. Ogwumike (15) | Tied (4) | Staples Center<br>12,334 | 1–1

|- | 3 | June 4 | @ New York Liberty | W 78–73 | Gray (29) | C. Ogwumike (10) | Gray (4) | Westchester County Center<br>3,579 | 2–1 |- | 4 | June 6 | @ Connecticut Sun | L 77–89 | N. Ogwumike (21) | N. Ogwumike (10) | Gray (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>5,496 | 2–2 |- | 5 | June 8 | @ Minnesota Lynx | W 89–85 | Williams (25) | Tied (9) | Ruffin-Pratt (5) | Target Center<br>8,834 | 3–2 |- | 6 | June 14 | @ Phoenix Mercury | W 85–65 | Gray (21) | N. Ogwumike (8) | Gray (9) | Talking Stick Resort Arena<br>10,381 | 4–2 |- | 7 | June 15 | New York Liberty | L 92–98 | C. Ogwumike (26) | C. Ogwumike (14) | Gray (6) | Staples Center<br>11,388 | 4–3 |- | 8 | June 18 | Washington Mystics | L 52–81 | Tied (12) | Tied (7) | Parker (3) | Staples Center<br>9,537 | 4–4 |- | 9 | June 21 | @ Seattle Storm | L 62–84 | N. Ogwumike (10) | C. Ogwumike (6) | 4 tied (2) | Angel of the Winds Arena<br>6,114 | 4–5 |- | 10 | June 23 | @ Phoenix Mercury | L 72–82 | Tied (12) | N. Ogwumike (13) | Gray (7) | Talking Stick Resort Arena<br>10,132 | 4–6 |- | 11 | June 27 | Las Vegas Aces | W 86–74 | 3 tied (18) | C. Ogwumike (10) | Gray (6) | Staples Center<br>10,295 | 5–6 |- | 12 | June 30 | Chicago Sky | W 94–69 | Williams (19) | C. Ogwumike (7) | Tied (5) | Staples Center<br>11,067 | 6–6

|- | 13 | July 7 | Washington Mystics | W 98–81 | N. Ogwumike (31) | Tied (10) | Gray (13) | Staples Center<br>10,336 | 7–6 |- | 14 | July 9 | @ Dallas Wings | L 62–74 | N. Ogwumike (15) | Tied (10) | Gray (4) | College Park Center<br>6,885 | 7–7 |- | 15 | July 12 | @ Indiana Fever | W 90–84 | N. Ogwumike (22) | C. Ogwumike (9) | Gray (6) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse<br>7,849 | 8–7 |- | 16 | July 14 | @ Atlanta Dream | W 76–71 (OT) | Williams (23) | N. Ogwumike (15) | Gray (9) | State Farm Arena<br>5,083 | 9–7 |- | 17 | July 18 | Dallas Wings | W 69–64 | N. Ogwumike (22) | Gray (9) | Gray (4) | Staples Center<br>14,050 | 10–7 |- | 18 | July 20 | @ New York Liberty | L 78–83 | N. Ogwumike (20) | N. Ogwumike (12) | Wiese (6) | Westchester County Center<br>2,195 | 10–8 |- | 19 | July 23 | @ Atlanta Dream | W 78–66 | N. Ogwumike (24) | C. Ogwumike (12) | Gray (6) | State Farm Arena<br>7,047 | 11–8

|- | 20 | August 1 | Las Vegas Aces | W 76–68 | N. Ogwumike (19) | N. Ogwumike (11) | Gray (10) | Staples Center<br>11,692 | 12–8 |- | 21 | August 4 | Seattle Storm | W 83–75 | Parker (21) | N. Ogwumike (10) | Gray (8) | Staples Center<br>12,820 | 13–8 |- | 22 | August 8 | Phoenix Mercury | W 84–74 | N. Ogwumike (24) | Parker (11) | Parker (6) | Staples Center<br>10,345 | 14–8 |- | 23 | August 11 | Chicago Sky | W 84–81 | Gray (26) | N. Ogwumike (12) | Gray (6) | Staples Center<br>9,244 | 15–8 |- | 24 | August 14 | @ Dallas Wings | L 78–84 | Gray (22) | N. Ogwumike (9) | Gray (7) | College Park Center<br>5,004 | 15–9 |- | 25 | August 16 | @ Chicago Sky | L 81–91 | Gray (25) | N. Ogwumike (7) | Tied (5) | Wintrust Arena<br>7,907 | 15–10 |- | 26 | August 20 | Minnesota Lynx | W 81–71 | Parker (20) | Parker (10) | N. Ogwumike (4) | Staples Center<br> | 16–10 |- | 27 | August 22 | Indiana Fever | W 98–65 | N. Ogwumike (17) | Tied (7) | Parker (5) | Staples Center<br>8,816 | 17–10 |- | 28 | August 25 | Connecticut Sun | W 84–72 | Williams (21) | N. Ogwumike (8) | Gray (6) | Staples Center<br>17,076 | 18–10 |- | 29 | August 27 | @ Washington Mystics | L 66–95 | Tied (12) | Vadeeva (7) | Gray (7) | St. Elizabeth's East Arena<br>4,200 | 18–11 |- | 30 | August 29 | @ Indiana Fever | W 87–83 | Gray (30) | N. Ogwumike (8) | Gray (9) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse<br>5,641 | 19–11 |- | 31 | August 31 | @ Las Vegas Aces | L 86–92 | Williams (37) | N. Ogwumike (7) | Gray (7) | Mandalay Bay Events Center<br>8,470 | 19–12

|- | 32 | September 3 | Atlanta Dream | W 70–60 | Parker (21) | Parker (11) | Parker (6) | Staples Center<br>9,889 | 20–12 |- | 33 | September 5 | Seattle Storm | W 102–68 | Parker (20) | N. Ogwumike (10) | Gray (7) | Staples Center<br>10,591 | 21–12 |- | 34 | September 8 | Minnesota Lynx | W 77–68 | Williams (15) | Parker (7) | Gray (8) | Staples Center<br>13,500 | 22–12

Playoffs

|- | 1 | September 15 | Seattle Storm | W 92–68 | Gray (21) | Parker (10) | Gray (8) | Staples Center<br>9,081 | 1–0

|- | 1 | September 17 | @ Connecticut Sun | L 75–84 | Parker (24) | Tied (10) | Gray (4) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>7,102 | 0–1 |- | 2 | September 19 | @ Connecticut Sun | L 68–94 | N. Ogwumike (18) | N. Ogwumike (7) | Gray (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>8,051 | 0–2 |- | 3 | September 22 | Connecticut Sun | L 56–78 | N. Ogwumike (17) | N. Ogwumike (6) | Gray (4) | Walter Pyramid<br>4,000 | 0–3

Standings

Playoffs

Statistics

Regular season

Awards and honors

References

External links