The 2021 Los Angeles Sparks season was the 25th season for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season tipped off on May 14, 2021, versus the Dallas Wings.
The Sparks split time in two arenas during the 2021 season. They played at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May until July and then played at the Staples Center after the league took its Olympic break.
The Sparks started the season slowly, losing the first two games. However, they won the next two to finish May with a 2–2 record. June proved difficult, as the team couldn't sustain a winning streak, as wins were followed by two losses frequently. They finished June 4–7 and 6–9 overall. The Sparks went into the Olympic break on a low note when they lost all four games in July. After the break, a favorable schedule contributed to a four-game winning streak to begin the August schedule, with wins over Indiana and Atlanta who finished in the bottom two of the final regular season standings. Once the winning streak ended, the Sparks lost six straight games to slide to 10–19 going into the final three games of the season. Despite winning two of the last three, a final day loss meant the Sparks finished outside the playoff places with a 12–20 overall record.
Transactions
WNBA draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/Team/Country 1 7 Jasmine Walker Alabama 1 10 Stephanie Watts North Carolina 2 22 Arella Guirantes Rutgers 3 28 Ivana Raca Wake Forest 3 34 Aina Ayuso Casademont Zaragoza
Trades/Roster Changes DateDetails December 31, 2020 Renounced rights to G Ángela Salvadores January 6, 2021 Extended Qualifying Offers to G Brittney Sykes and C Marianna Tolo January 7, 2021 Extended Qualifying Offer to G Te'a Cooper January 11, 2021 Re-Signed G Te'a Cooper January 13, 2021 Cored F Nneka Ogwumike February 2, 2021 Signed G Erica Wheeler February 8, 2021 Re-Signed G Brittney Sykes February 11, 2021 Signed C Amanda Zahui B. February 19, 2021 Signed G Bria Holmes February 22, 2021 Re-Signed G/F Seimone Augustus February 25, 2021 Re-Signed F/C Chiney Ogwumike March 2, 2021 Re-Signed F Nneka Ogwumike March 4, 2021 Signed G Nia Coffey to a Training Camp Contract March 16, 2021 Waived C Marie Gülich April 14, 2021 Acquired the 7th pick in the 2021 WNBA draft and Dallas's 2md Round pick in the 2022 WNBA draft in exchange for the Sparks' 2022 1st Round pick. April 18, 2021 Waived G Tierra Ruffin-Pratt April 19, 2021 Signed G Stephanie Watts to a Rookie Scale Contract April 20, 2021 Signed F Jasmine Walker to a Rookie Scale Contract May 6, 2021 Signed G Arella Guirantes to a Rookie Scale Contract May 9, 2021 Traded G Stephanie Watts and the rights to G Leonie Fiebich to Chicago in exchange for G/F Gabby Williams May 13, 2021 G Seimone Augustus retires and is named an Assistant Coach Traded G Sydney Wiese to Washington in exchange for a 2022 2nd Round Pick. Waived F Kristine Anigwe. Temporarily Suspend C Maria Vadeeva. May 14, 2021 Signed G/F Gabby Williams to a Contract Extension June 4, 2021 Signed G Karlie Samuelson and C Kristine Anigwe to Hardship Contracts June 28, 2021 Released C Kristine Anigwe from the Hardship Contract and Waived G Bria Holmes June 29, 2021 Released G Karlie Samuelson from the Hardship Contract June 30, 2021 Signed C Lauren Cox Signed G Karlie Samuelson to a Hardship Contract Signed G Bria Holmes to a Hardship Contract August 3, 2021 Terminated the Hardship Contracts of Bria Holmes and Karlie Samuelson Signed G Karlie Samuelson to a 7-Day Contract
Roster
Game log
Preseason
| 1 | May 2 | @ Las Vegas | W 80–71 | colspan=3 | Scrimmage | Michelob Ultra ArenaNo Fans | 1–0 |- | 2 | May 8 | Las Vegas | T 85–85 | Jasmine Walker (23) | Jasmine Walker (9) | WheelerCooper (5) | Los Angeles Convention CenterNo Fans | 1–0–1
Regular season
| 1 | May 14 | Dallas | L 71–94 | Nneka Ogwumike (18) | Nneka Ogwumike (8) | Brittney Sykes (3) | Los Angeles Convention CenterNo Fans | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 21 | @ Las Vegas | 69–97 | Nneka Ogwumike (19) | GuirantesC. OgwumikeN. Ogwumike (5) | Kristi Toliver (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena1,972 | 0–2 |- | 3 | May 28 | @ Chicago | W 76–61 | Nneka Ogwumike (14) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Erica Wheeler (6) | Wintrust Arena1,124 | 1–2 |- | 4 | May 30 | @ Chicago | W 82–79 | Nneka Ogwumike (21) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Erica Wheeler (7) | Wintrust Arena1,124 | 2–2
| 5 | June 1 | @ Dallas | L 69–79 | Kristi Toliver (14) | Nia Coffey (6) | Te'a Cooper (4) | College Park Center1,372 | 2–3 |- | 6 | June 3 | Indiana | W 98–63 | Kristi Toliver (22) | HolmesZahui B (7) | Erica Wheeler (5) | Los Angeles Convention Center301 | 3–3 |- | 7 | June 5 | Chicago | W 68–63 | Erica Wheeler (22) | Amanda Zahui B (10) | Erica Wheeler (5) | Los Angeles Convention Center430 | 4–3 |- | 8 | June 10 | @ Washington | L 71–89 | Te'a Cooper (11) | Kristine Anigwe (9) | Erica Wheeler (4) | Entertainment and Sports Arena2,100 | 4–4 |- | 9 | June 12 | @ Minnesota | L 64–80 | Te'a Cooper (17) | Amanda Zahui B (8) | Kristi Toliver (5) | Target Center2,203 | 4–5 |- | 10 | June 16 | Phoenix | W 85–80 | Erica Wheeler (18) | Brittney Sykes (9) | Erica Wheeler (10) | Los Angeles Convention Center514 | 5–5
| 11 | June 18 | Phoenix | L 66–80 | Erica Wheeler (17) | Amanda Zahui B (6) | ToliverWheeler (2) | Los Angeles Convention Center520 | 5–6 |- | 12 | June 20 | New York | L 73–76 | Erica Wheeler (20) | Erica Wheeler (6) | Erica Wheeler (10) | Los Angeles Convention Center731 | 5–7 |- | 13 | June 24 | Washington | W 89–82 | Te'a Cooper (26) | Amanda Zahui B (5) | Te'a Cooper (4) | Los Angeles Convention Center520 | 6–7 |- | 14 | June 26 | @ Phoenix | L 79–88 | Erica Wheeler (21) | Kristine Anigwe (9) | SykesWheeler (4) | Phoenix Suns Arena | 6–8
| 15 | June 30 | Las Vegas | L 75–99 | Amanda Zahui B (22) | Amanda Zahui B (9) | CooperWheeler (3) | Los Angeles Convention Center746 | 6–9
| 16 | July 2 | Las Vegas | L 58–66 | Erica Wheeler (15) | Amanda Zahui B (12) | Erica Wheeler (5) | Los Angeles Convention Center959 | 6–10 |- | 17 | July 4 | Seattle | L 74–84 | SykesWheeler (19) | Brittney Sykes (10) | SykesWheeler (5) | Los Angeles Convention Center716 | 6–11
| 18 | July 7 | @ Seattle | L 62–71 | Erica Wheeler (22) | Amanda Zahui B (9) | Erica Wheeler (3) | Angel of the Winds Arena2,730 | 6–12
| 19 | July 11 | Minnesota | L 61–86 | SykesWheeler (14) | Lauren Cox (8) | Erica Wheeler (6) | Los Angeles Convention Center892 | 6–13
| 20 | August 15 | Indiana | W 75–70 | Brittney Sykes (16) | Amanda Zahui B (9) | ToliverWheeler (6) | Staples Center2,029 | 7–13 |- | 21 | August 17 | Atlanta | W 85–80 (OT) | Brittney Sykes (17) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Nneka Ogwumike (9) | Staples Center2,200 | 8–13 |- | 22 | August 19 | Atlanta | W 66–64 | Nneka Ogwumike (17) | Brittney Sykes (8) | Kristi Toliver (5) | Staples Center1,885 | 9–13 |- | 23 | August 22 | @ New York | W 86–83 | Erica Wheeler (17) | Brittney Sykes (6) | Nneka Ogwumike (6) | Barclays CenterN/A | 10–13 |- | 24 | August 24 | @ Washington | L 68–78 | Nia Coffey (15) | Chiney Ogwumike (8) | ToliverSykes (3) | Entertainment and Sports Arena2,620 | 10–14 |- | 25 | August 26 | @ Connecticut | L 72–76 | Nia Coffey (18) | Brittney Sykes (7) | Erica Wheeler (9) | Mohegan Sun Arena3,702 | 10–15 |- | 26 | August 28 | @ Connecticut | L 61–76 | Erica Wheeler (15) | Erica Wheeler (6) | Erica Wheeler (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena4,434 | 10–16 |- | 27 | August 31 | @ Indiana | L 72–74 | Nneka Ogwumike (17) | Brittney Sykes (5) | Erica Wheeler (7) | Indiana Farmers ColiseumN/A | 10–17
| 28 | September 2 | @ Minnesota | L 57–66 | N. OgwumikeWheeler (16) | Nneka Ogwumike (10) | Erica Wheeler (7) | Target Center3,121 | 10–18 |- | 29 | September 9 | Connecticut | L 57–75 | CoffeyN. Ogwumike (12) | Nneka Ogwumike (7) | N. OgwumikeSykesWheeler (3) | Staples Center1,695 | 10–19 |- | 30 | September 12 | Seattle | W 81–53 | Te'a Cooper (19) | Brittney Sykes (10) | Erica Wheeler (4) | Staples Center4,181 | 11–19 |- | 31 | September 16 | @ Atlanta | W 74–68 | Brittney Sykes (17) | Nneka Ogwumike (10) | Erica Wheeler (4) | Gateway Center Arena2,537 | 12–19 |- | 32 | September 19 | @ Dallas | L 84–87 | Te'a Cooper (24) | Nneka Ogwumike (10) | Erica Wheeler (7) | College Park Center3,604 | 12–20
Standings
Statistics
Source:
Regular season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Nneka Ogwumike 18 18 31.7 53.2 36.7 80.0 6.5 2.7 1.4 0.3 14.5 Erica Wheeler 32 32 30.2 41.7 35.5 82.7 3.1 4.8 1.3 0.3 13.6 Kristi Toliver 19 19 27.6 41.4 33.7 84.2 1.4 2.9 0.7 0.0 9.4 Brittney Sykes 32 20 29.3 40.5 26.2 77.2 4.6 2.2 1.8 0.5 9.4 Amanda Zahui B 30 27 23.8 42.7 28.0 76.7 5.1 1.0 0.6 1.2 9.2 Te'a Cooper 31 13 22.0 37.9 32.4 75.0 1.7 1.4 0.9 0.2 9.1 Nia Coffey 32 17 25.2 42.1 41.7 77.8 3.8 0.9 0.8 1.2 8.3 Chiney Ogwumike 7 3 19.1 40.8 75.0 75.0 4.1 1.1 0.9 0.4 7.0 Lauren Cox 15 0 14.0 41.3 20.0 77.8 3.7 0.6 0.7 0.9 3.5 Arella Guirantes 25 2 11.6 27.4 22.2 80.8 1.3 0.6 0.3 0.2 3.2 Jasmine Walker 2 0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 Maria Vadeeva 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Awards and honors Recipient Award Date awarded Ref. Brittney Sykes WNBA All-Defensive First Team September 26 Nneka Ogwumike Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award October 3
References
External links
Los Angeles Sparks at ESPN.com