2023 Los Angeles Sparks season

The 2023 Los Angeles Sparks season was the 27th season for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the first season under head coach Curt Miller. The season tipped off on May 19, 2023, versus the Phoenix Mercury.

The Sparks hired Miller on October 21, 2022. He previously served as the head for the Connecticut Sun, and led the Sun to the 2022 WNBA Finals. He also previously served as an assistant coach for the Sparks in 2015.

The Sparks won their opening game of the season before dropping the next two games to Las Vegas to finish the opening month 1–2. June was an up and down month that saw the Sparks win their first two games, but then alternate wins and losses for the next five games. They won two games in a row over Dallas but then they lost their final two games of the month to Chicago. They would ultimately finish the month 6–7. July was not as good of a month for the Sparks as they lost six games in a row to start the month. They won two games against Indiana but lost their final game of the month to finish July 2–7. August began with two losses, but then the Sparks went on a six-game winning streak. August finished with three straight losses, and the Sparks finished August 6–5. The Sparks were fighting for the eighth and final playoff seed entering September and they won their opening game. They then lost their next two games, and were eliminated from playoff contention on September 8 when they did not play, but Chicago defeated Minnesota. They won their final game of the season to finish September 2–2 and one game out of the eighth playoff spot. This marked the third straight year of the Sparks not qualifying for the playoffs.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Transactions

Roster Changes

Additions

Subtractions

Roster

Depth chart

Schedule

Preseason

|- | 1 | May 12<br>7:00&nbsp;p.m. | at Phoenix | W 90–71 | Zia Cooke (12) | C. Ogwumike<br>N. Ogwumike<br>Holmes (4) | Canada<br>Liwei (5) | Footprint Center<br>N/A | 1–0

Regular season

|- | 1 | May 19 | Phoenix | W 94–71 | Nneka Ogwumike (17) | Chiney Ogwumike (7) | Jordin Canada (5) | Crypto.com Arena<br>10,396 | 1–0 |- | 2 | May 25 | Las Vegas | L 85–94 | Chiney Ogwumike (19) | Chiney Ogwumike (8) | Layshia Clarendon (6) | Crypto.com Arena<br>7,314 | 1–1 |- | 3 | May 27 | @ Las Vegas | L 65–93 | Nneka Ogwumike (16) | Karlie Samuelson (7) | Nia Clouden (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>10,191 | 1–2

|- | 4 | June 2 | @ Phoenix | W 99–93 (OT) | Lexie Brown (26) | Nneka Ogwumike (12) | Nneka Ogwumike (6) | Footprint Center<br>8,815 | 2–2 |- | 5 | June 3 | Seattle | W 92–83 | Nneka Ogwumike (27) | Nneka Ogwumike (13) | Jordin Canada (7) | Crypto.com Arena<br>6,866 | 3–2 |- | 6 | June 6 | @ Seattle | L 63–66 | Nneka Ogwumike (22) | Nneka Ogwumike (11) | Jordin Canada (5) | Climate Pledge Arena<br>7,840 | 3–3 |- | 7 | June 9 | Chicago | W 77–62 | Nneka Ogwumike (19) | Nneka Ogwumike (14) | Canada<br>N. Ogwumike (5) | Crypto.com Arena<br>5,431 | 4–3 |- | 8 | June 11 | @ Minnesota | L 86–91 | Nneka Ogwumike (27) | Dearica Hamby (9) | Jordin Canada (8) | Target Center<br>8,025 | 4–4 |- | 9 | June 14 | @ Dallas | W 79–61 | Dearica Hamby (23) | Nneka Ogwumike (10) | Jordin Canada (6) | College Park Center<br>5,807 | 5–4 |- | 10 | June 16 | Minnesota | L 72–77 | Jordin Canada (22) | Dearica Hamby (9) | Nneka Ogwumike (7) | Crypto.com Arena<br>5,265 | 5–5 |- | 11 | June 18 | Connecticut | L 74–83 | Nneka Ogwumike (19) | Nneka Ogwumike (15) | Jordin Canada (6) | Crypto.com Arena<br>6,289 | 5–6 |- | 12 | June 20 | Minnesota | L 61–67 | Nneka Ogwumike (20) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Jordin Canada (5) | Crypto.com Arena<br>4,180 | 5–7 |- | 13 | June 23 | Dallas | W 76–74 | Nneka Ogwumike (20) | Dearica Hamby (10) | Jordin Canada (6) | Crypto.com Arena<br>5,766 | 6–7 |- | 14 | June 25 | Dallas | W 93–83 | Nneka Ogwumike (27) | Nneka Ogwumike (12) | Jordin Canada (9) | Crypto.com Arena<br>6,380 | 7–7 |- | 15 | June 28 | @ Chicago | L 63–80 | Nneka Ogwumike (16) | Nneka Ogwumike (11) | Jordin Canada (5) | Wintrust Arena<br>8,810 | 7–8 |- | 16 | June 30 | @ Chicago | L 78–86 | Azurá Stevens (15) | Dearica Hamby (12) | Jordin Canada (4) | Wintrust Arena<br>7,272 | 7–9

|- | 17 | July 2 | @ Atlanta | L 84–112 | Nneka Ogwumike (25) | Azurá Stevens (9) | Destanni Henderson (6) | Gateway Center Arena<br>3,209 | 7–10 |- | 18 | July 5 | Atlanta | L 79–90 | Nneka Ogwumike (19) | Azurá Stevens (12) | Jordin Canada (7) | Crypto.com Arena<br>5,912 | 7–11 |- | 19 | July 9 | @ Phoenix | L 72–78 | Nneka Ogwumike (20) | Nneka Ogwumike (14) | Cooke<br>Thomas (4) | Footprint Center<br>9,206 | 7–12 |- | 20 | July 12 | Las Vegas | L 78–97 | Azurá Stevens (22) | Azurá Stevens (12) | Karlie Samuelson (6) | Crypto.com Arena<br>8,085 | 7–13 |- | 21 | July 20 | @ Minnesota | L 70–73 | Nneka Ogwumike (19) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Jordin Canada (8) | Target Center<br>7,014 | 7–14 |- | 22 | July 22 | @ Dallas | L 84–98 | Dearica Hamby (18) | Canada<br>N. Ogwumike (5) | Jordin Canada (7) | College Park Center<br>5,041 | 7–15 |- | 23 | July 25 | Indiana | W 79–78 | Nneka Ogwumike (30) | Nneka Ogwumike (8) | Jordin Canada (10) | Crypto.com Arena<br>5,565 | 8–15 |- | 24 | July 27 | Indiana | W 81–68 | Nneka Ogwumike (25) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Jordin Canada (7) | Crypto.com Arena<br>11,970 | 9–15 |- | 25 | July 30 | New York | L 79–87 | Dearica Hamby (21) | Dearica Hamby (6) | Jordin Canada (4) | Crypto.com Arena<br>8,139 | 9–16

|- | 26 | August 1 | New York | L 69–76 | Nneka Ogwumike (20) | Nneka Ogwumike (8) | Jordin Canada (6) | Crypto.com Arena<br>6,498 | 9–17 |- | 27 | August 4 | @ Washington | L 77–79 | Azurá Stevens (19) | Canada<br>N. Ogwumike (8) | Jordin Canada (7) | Entertainment and Sports Arena<br>3,747 | 9–18 |- | 28 | August 6 | @ Washington | W 91–83 | Nneka Ogwumike (20) | Nneka Ogwumike (10) | Jordin Canada (7) | Entertainment and Sports Arena<br>4,073 | 10–18 |- | 29 | August 8 | @ Indiana | W 87–80 | Nneka Ogwumike (20) | Nneka Ogwumike (11) | Jordin Canada (7) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse<br>3,006 | 11–18 |- | 30 | August 12 | Atlanta | W 85–74 | Jordin Canada (20) | Azurá Stevens (8) | Jordin Canada (8) | Crypto.com Arena<br>7,119 | 12–18 |- | 31 | August 19 | @ Las Vegas | W 78–72 | Layshia Clarendon (22) | Nneka Ogwumike (11) | Layshia Clarendon (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>10,348 | 13–18 |- | 32 | August 23 | Phoenix | W 91–62 | Azurá Stevens (20) | Azurá Stevens (9) | Jordin Canada (7) | Galen Center<br>3,469 | 14–18 |- | 33 | August 25 | @ Atlanta | W 83–78 | Nneka Ogwumike (29) | Nneka Ogwumike (12) | Jordin Canada (9) | Gateway Center Arena<br>2,957 | 15–18 |- | 34 | August 27 | @ Connecticut | L 68–83 | Azurá Stevens (17) | Dearica Hamby (9) | Layshia Clarendon (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>6,783 | 15–19 |- | 35 | August 29 | Chicago | L 75–76 | Nneka Ogwumike (18) | Nneka Ogwumike (11) | Jordin Canada (9) | Crypto.com Arena<br>6,041 | 15–20 |- | 36 | August 31 | Seattle | L 61–72 | Nneka Ogwumike (11) | Nneka Ogwumike (7) | Jordin Canada (4) | Crypto.com Arena<br>6,101 | 15–21

|- | 37 | September 3 | Washington | W 72–64 | Layshia Clarendon (15) | Dearica Hamby (10) | Canada<br>Clarendon<br>Hamby<br>Samuelson (3) | Galen Center<br>4,284 | 16–21 |- | 38 | September 5 | @ Connecticut | L 76–90 | Hamby<br>Stevens (18) | Azurá Stevens (11) | Jordin Canada (8) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>4,783 | 16–22 |- | 39 | September 7 | @ New York | L 89–96 | Layshia Clarendon (30) | Hamby<br>Stevens (8) | Jordin Canada (5) | Barclays Center<br>6,275 | 16–23 |- | 40 | September 10 | @ Seattle | W 91–89 | Nneka Ogwumike (22) | Dearica Hamby (12) | Jordin Canada (7) | Climate Pledge Arena<br>10,728 | 17–23 |-

Standings

Statistics

Regular season

<br />^‡Waived/Released during the season <br />^â€ÂTraded during the season <br />^â‰ÂAcquired during the season

Awards and honors

References

External links

• Los Angeles Sparks at ESPN.com