2002 Los Angeles Sparks season

Last updated

2002 Los Angeles Sparks season
WNBA champions
Coach Michael Cooper
Arena Staples Center
Attendance11,651 per game
Results
Record257 (.781)
Place1st (Western)
Playoff finishWon WNBA Finals

The 2002 WNBA season was the sixth season for the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks ended the season winning the WNBA Finals for the second straight year.

Contents

Transactions

WNBA draft

RoundPickPlayerNationalitySchool/Team/Country
116 Rosalind Ross Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Oklahoma
230 Gergana Slavcheva Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg  Bulgaria FIU
232Jackie HigginsFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States North Carolina
348Rashana BarnesFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Penn State
464Tiffany ThompsonFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Old Dominion

Transactions

DateTransaction
April 19, 2002Traded Ukari Figgs and Gergana Slavcheva to the Portland Fire in exchange for Nikki Teasley and Sophia Witherspoon [1]
Drafted Rosalind Ross, Gergana Slavcheva, Jackie Higgins, Rashana Barnes and Tiffany Thompson in the 2002 WNBA draft [1]
April 30, 2002Signed Erika de Souza, Rhonda Smith and Kim Williams [1]
May 3, 2002Waived Rashana Barnes [1]
May 8, 2002Waived Tiffany Thompson [1]
May 13, 2002Waived Jackie Higgins, Kelley Simon, Kim Williams and Nicole Levandusky [1]
Signed Vicki Hall, Shala Crawford and Naomi Mulitauaopele [1]
May 16, 2002Waived Rhonda Smith and Wendi Willits [1]
May 23, 2002Waived Naomi Mulitauaopele [1]
June 7, 2002Signed Katryna Gaither [1]
June 11, 2002Signed Sophia Witherspoon [1]
June 18, 2002Traded a 2003 1st Round Pick to the Miami Sol in exchange for Marlies Askamp [1]
June 21, 2002Waived Katryna Gaither [1]

Roster

2002 Los Angeles Sparks roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
C 41 Flag of Germany.svg Askamp, Marlies 6' 5" (1.96m)198 lb (90kg)1970-07-085
G/F 0 Flag of the United States.svg Byears, Latasha 5' 11" (1.8m)206 lb (93kg)1973-08-12 DePaul 5
F/C 14 Flag of Brazil.svg de Souza, Erika 6' 5" (1.96m)190 lb (86kg)1982-03-09R
G 21 Flag of the United States.svg Dixon, Tamecka 5' 9" (1.75m)148 lb (67kg)1975-12-14 Kansas 5
C 12 Flag of the United States.svg Gaither, Katryna 6' 3" (1.91m)170 lb (77kg)1975-08-13 Notre Dame 1
G 17 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Grgin-Fonseca, Vedrana 6' 1" (1.85m)160 lb (73kg)1975-01-132
F 7 Flag of the United States.svg Hall, Vicki 6' 1" (1.85m)180 lb (82kg)1969-10-03 Texas 2
C 9 Flag of the United States.svg Leslie, Lisa 6' 5" (1.96m)170 lb (77kg)1972-07-07 USC 5
G 4 Flag of Zaire (1971-1997).svg Mabika, Mwadi 5' 11" (1.8m)165 lb (75kg)1976-07-275
G 10 Flag of the United States.svg McCrimmon, Nicky 5' 8" (1.73m)125 lb (57kg)1972-03-22 USC 2
F 8 Flag of the United States.svg Milton-Jones, DeLisha 6' 1" (1.85m)175 lb (79kg)1974-09-11 Florida 3
G 42 Flag of the United States.svg Teasley, Nikki 6' 0" (1.83m)169 lb (77kg)1979-03-22 North Carolina R
G 13 Flag of the United States.svg Witherspoon, Sophia 5' 10" (1.78m)145 lb (66kg)1968-07-06 Florida 5
Head coach
Flag of the United States.svg Michael Cooper (New Mexico)
Assistant coaches
Flag of the United States.svg Glenn McDonald
Flag of the United States.svg Karleen Thompson

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Schedule

Regular season

2002 game log
Total: 25–7 (Home: 12–4; Road: 13–3)
May: 3–0 (Home: 1–0; Road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
1May 25 New York W 72–64 Leslie
Mabika
Witherspoon (14)
Lisa Leslie (14) Tamecka Dixon (7) Staples Center 1–0
2May 27@ Houston W 68–55 Lisa Leslie (22) Lisa Leslie (17) Sophia Witherspoon (4) Compaq Center 2–0
3May 30@ Miami W 69–65 Mwadi Mabika (17) DeLisha Milton-Jones (8) Nikki Teasley (5) American Airlines Arena 3–0
August : 5–2 (Home: 1–2; Road: 4–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
26August 1 Seattle L 76–81 Lisa Leslie (30) Lisa Leslie (16) Nikki Teasley (7) Staples Center 20–6
27August 3@ Sacramento W 81–71 Mwadi Mabika (20) Lisa Leslie (9) Mwadi Mabika (9) ARCO Arena 21–6
28August 4 Utah W 90–86 Lisa Leslie (26) Mwadi Mabika (7) Mwadi Mabika (6) Staples Center 22–6
29August 8 Houston L 64–67 Mwadi Mabika (27) Leslie
Milton-Jones (12)
Tamecka Dixon (5) Staples Center 22–7
30August 9@ Utah W 85–77 Lisa Leslie (19) Mwadi Mabika (9) Nikki Teasley (6) Delta Center 23–7
31August 11@ Minnesota W 69–58 Mwadi Mabika (16) Nikki Teasley (6) Tamecka Dixon (7) Target Center 24–7
32August 13@ Phoenix W 63–56 Lisa Leslie (23) Lisa Leslie (11) Mabika
Milton-Jones (3)
America West Arena 25–7
2002 season schedule

Playoffs

2002 playoff game log
First round vs. Seattle Storm
Won Series: 2–0
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Series
1August 15@ Seattle W 78–61 Lisa Leslie (24) Lisa Leslie (9) Nikki Teasley (8) KeyArena 1–0
2August 17 Seattle W 69–59 Lisa Leslie (23) DeLisha Milton-Jones (10) Mabika
Teasley (4)
Staples Center 2–0
Conference Finals vs. Utah Starzz
Won Series: 2–0
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Series
1August 22@ Utah W 75–67 DeLisha Milton-Jones (17) Lisa Leslie (8) DeLisha Milton-Jones (5) Delta Center 1–0
2August 24 Utah W 103–77 Lisa Leslie (25) Mwadi Mabika (9) Nikki Teasley (9) Staples Center 2–0
WNBA Finals vs. New York Liberty
Won Series: 2–0
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Series
1 August 29 @ New York W 71–63 Mwadi Mabika (20) Latasha Byears (11) Nikki Teasley (11) Madison Square Garden 1–0
2 August 31 New York W 69–66 Lisa Leslie (17) Latasha Byears (11) Nikki Teasley (11) Staples Center 2–0
2002 playoff schedule

Season standings

Western Conference WLPCTConf.GB
Los Angeles Sparks x257.78117–4
Houston Comets x248.75016–51.0
Utah Starzz x2012.62512–95.0
Seattle Storm x1715.53110–118.0
Portland Fire o1616.5008–139.0
Sacramento Monarchs o1418.4388–1311.0
Phoenix Mercury o1121.3447–1414.0
Minnesota Lynx o1022.3136–1515.0

Statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage TO  Turnovers per game
 PF  Fouls per gameTeam leaderLeague leader

Regular Season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
Lisa Leslie 313134.2.466.324.72710.42.71.52.916.9
Mwadi Mabika 323232.8.423.366.8395.22.91.20.316.8
Tamecka Dixon 303031.9.391.351.8313.14.00.90.210.6
DeLisha Milton-Jones 322530.2.487.420.7406.61.41.61.111.3
Nikki Teasley 323227.6.404.400.7502.64.40.80.36.4
Latasha Byears 26518.7.618N/A.5665.40.50.70.27.0
Sophia Witherspoon 31111.5.415.418.7610.90.90.40.15.2
Nicky McCrimmon 32011.1.408.267.6360.71.70.70.11.6
Marlies Askamp 20410.8.473.000.6432.50.20.60.23.1
Vedrana Grgin-Fonseca 1206.6.387.417.6670.70.10.10.02.6
Vicki Hall 306.3.500.000.7500.70.30.30.02.3
Katryna Gaither 105.0.000N/AN/A1.01.00.00.00.0
Erika de Souza 1103.7.357N/A.2001.30.20.30.01.1


Waived/Released during the season
Traded during the season
Acquired during the season

Awards and honors

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "2002 Los Angeles Sparks Transactions". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 1, 2024.

Sparks on Basketball Reference