2022 Los Angeles Sparks season

Last updated

2022 Los Angeles Sparks season
Coach Derek Fisher (Until June 7)
Fred Williams (Interim, from July 7th-present)
Arena Crypto.com Arena
Attendance5,653 per game
Results
Record1323 (.361)
Place6th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Team Leaders
Points Nneka Ogwumike – 18.1 ppg
Rebounds Nneka Ogwumike – 6.6 rpg
Assists Jordin Canada – 5.5 apg
Media
Television Spectrum SportsNet
ESPN
CBS/CBS Sports Network
NBA TV

The 2022 WNBA season was the 26th season for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season tipped off on May 6, 2022, versus the Chicago Sky. [1]

Contents

The Sparks started the season well with road wins over Chicago and Indiana, but could not hold onto that momentum as they lost the next five games in a row. They broke the streak by winning three of their next four games to finish May 5–6. They would open June with a loss and on June 7, 2022, the Sparks and head coach Derek Fisher parted ways after starting the season 5–7, and Fred Williams was named the interim head coach. [2] Williams' tenure started with back to back losses, but the Sparks won two of their last four games in June to finish the month 2–5. The team won its first three games in July before losing their next three. Two wins were followed by three losses to finish July 5–6. The team began August in the playoff hunt, but three straight losses extended their losing streak to six total and dashed their playoff hopes. A win at Washington would be the Sparks' only win in August as they finished the season with three straight home losses. They finished the month 1–6 and the season 13–23.

Transactions

WNBA draft

RoundPickPlayerNationalitySchool/team/country
19 Rae Burrell Flag of the United States.svg  United States Tennessee
216 Kianna Smith Flag of the United States.svg  United States Louisville
219 Olivia Nelson-Ododa Flag of the United States.svg  United States UConn
327 Amy Atwell Flag of the United States.svg  United States Hawaii

Trades and Roster Changes

DateTransaction
December 31, 2021Renounced the rights to Marianna Tolo and Aina Ayuso [3]
January 1, 2022Extended Qualifying Offers to Te'a Cooper and Lauren Cox [4]
January 4, 2022Signed Lauren Cox to a Qualifying Offer [5]
January 20, 2022Signed Te'a Cooper to a Qualifying Offer [6]
February 3, 2022Traded Gabby Williams to Seattle in exchange for Katie Lou Samuelson and the 9th pick in the 2022 WNBA draft. [7]
February 5, 2022Traded Erica Wheeler, a 2023 First-Round Pick, and 2022 Second-Round Pick to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Chennedy Carter and the rights to Li Yueru [8]
February 8, 2022Signed Jordin Canada to a One-Year Deal [9]
February 18, 2022Signed Liz Cambage [10]
March 30, 2022Trade the rights to Li Yueru to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Lexie Brown [11]
April 15, 2022Signed Chantel Horvat and Lexi Gordan to training-camp contracts [12]
April 16, 2022Signed Rae Burrell, Kianna Smith, and Amy Atwell to rookie-scale contracts
April 17, 2022Signed Olivia Nelson-Ododa to a rookie-scale contract
April 29, 2022Waived Lauren Cox, Chantel Horvat, and Lexi Gordan [13]
May 4, 2022Waived Te'a Cooper, Arella Guirantes, and Kianna Smith [14]
May 5, 2022Temporarily Suspend Kristi Toliver and Katie Lou Samuelson due to NBA and Overseas Commitments
Full Season suspension of the contract of Amanda Zahui B
May 11, 2022Exercised the 4th Year Team Option on Chennedy Carter
May 16, 2022Signed Katie Lou Samuelson to a One Year Extension [15]
May 17, 2022Activated Katie Lou Samuelson from her Temporary Suspension [16]
June 7, 2022Fired Head coach/GM Derek Fisher and named Fred Williams as Interim Head coach [17]
Waived Amy Atwell [18]
June 9, 2022Activated Kristi Toliver from her Temporary Suspension
July 4, 2022Signed Kianna Smith to a 7-Day Hardship Contract [19]
July 26, 2022Waived Liz Cambage [20]
Signed Kianna Smith to a 2nd 7-day contract [21]
August 2, 2022Signed Kianna Smith [22]

Roster

2022 Los Angeles Sparks roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
G 4 Flag of the United States.svg Brown, Lexie 5' 9" (1.75m)162 lb (73kg)10-24-1994 Duke 4
G/F 12 Flag of the United States.svg Burrell, Rae   Cruz Roja.svg 6' 2" (1.88m)168 lb (76kg)06-21-2000 Tennessee R
G 21 Flag of the United States.svg Canada, Jordin 5' 6" (1.68m)135 lb (61kg)1995-08-11 UCLA 4
G 7 Flag of the United States.svg Carter, Chennedy 5' 9" (1.75m)143 lb (65kg)1998-11-14 Texas A&M 2
C 10 Flag of the United States.svg Nelson-Ododa, Olivia 6' 5" (1.96m)173 lb (78kg)08-17-2000 Connecticut R
F 30 Flag of the United States.svg Ogwumike, Nneka 6' 2" (1.88m)174 lb (79kg)1990-07-02 Stanford 10
F/C 13 Flag of the United States.svg Ogwumike, Chiney 6' 3" (1.91m)183 lb (83kg)1992-03-21 Stanford 5
F 33 Flag of the United States.svg Samuelson, Katie Lou 6' 3" (1.91m)163 lb (74kg)1997-06-13 Connecticut 3
G 5 Flag of the United States.svg Smith, Kianna 6' 0" (1.83m)162 lb (73kg)06-10-1994 Louisville R
G 15 Flag of the United States.svg Sykes, Brittney 5' 9" (1.75m)154 lb (70kg)1994-02-07 Syracuse 5
G 20 Flag of the United States.svg Toliver, Kristi   Cruz Roja.svg 5' 7" (1.7m)130 lb (59kg)1987-01-27 Maryland 12
F 40 Flag of the United States.svg Walker, Jasmine 6' 3" (1.91m)182 lb (83kg)1998-02-03 Alabama 1
Head coach
Flag of the United States.svg Fred Williams (Boise State)
Assistant coaches
Flag of the United States.svg Latricia Trammell (East Central University)
Flag of the United States.svg Seimone Augustus (LSU)
Athletic trainer
Flag of the United States.svg Courtney Watson (California)
Strength and conditioning coach
Flag of the United States.svg Kelly Dormandy (Springfield College)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Depth

Pos.StarterBench
C Chiney Ogwumike Olivia Nelson-Ododa
PF Nneka Ogwumike Jasmine Walker
SF Katie Lou Samuelson Rae Burrell Cruz Roja.svg
SG Brittney Sykes Lexie Brown
Kianna Smith
PG Kristi Toliver Jordin Canada
Chennedy Carter

Schedule

Preseason

2022 pre-season game log
Total: 1–1 (Home: 1–0; Road: 0–1)
April: 1–1 (Home: 1–0; Road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
1April 23@ Seattle L 68–81 Olivia Nelson-Ododa (15) Olivia Nelson-Ododa (12) Olivia Nelson-Ododa (5) Climate Pledge Arena
5,734
0–1
2April 30 Phoenix W 87-84 Amy Atwell (19) Olivia Nelson-Ododa (6) Jordin Canada (3) Matadome
N/A
1-1
2022 pre-season schedule

Regular season

2022 game log
Total: 13–23 (Home: 7–11; Road: 6–12)
June : 2–5 (Home: 1–3; Road: 1–2)
July : 5–6 (Home: 4–4; Road: 1–2)
August : 1–6 (Home: 0–3; Road: 1–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
30August 2@ New York L 73–102 Brittney Sykes (19) Brittney Sykes (6) Jordin Canada (4) Barclays Center
4,891
12–18
31August 3@ New York L 61–64 Nneka Ogwumike (19) Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10) Jordin Canada (8) Barclays Center
5,315
12–19
32August 5@ Atlanta L 86–88 Brittney Sykes (23) Brittney Sykes (7) Jordin Canada (8) Gateway Center Arena
3,138
12–20
33August 7@ Washington W 79–76 Brittney Sykes (21) N. Ogwumike
Sykes (6)
Jordin Canada (12) Entertainment and Sports Arena
4,200
13–20
34August 9 Connecticut L 71–97 Brittney Sykes (18) Brittney Sykes (7) Jordin Canada (6) Crypto.com Arena
5,789
13–21
35August 11 Connecticut L 69–93 Brittney Sykes (18) Nneka Ogwumike (9) Jordin Canada (5) Crypto.com Arena
4,987
13–22
36August 14 Dallas L 88–116 Brittney Sykes (35) Jasmine Walker (6) Canada
Sykes (5)
Crypto.com Arena
7,245
13–23
2022 season schedule


Standings

# W L PCT GB Conf. Home Road Cup
1xLas Vegas Aces 2610.72215–313–513–59–1
2xChicago Sky 2610.72215–314–412–69–1
3xConnecticut Sun 2511.6941.011–713–512–65–5
4xSeattle Storm 2214.6114.010–813–59–96–4
5xWashington Mystics 2214.6114.011–712–610–85–5
6xDallas Wings 1818.5008.08–108–1010–85–5
7xNew York Liberty 1620.44410.010–89–97–116–4
8xPhoenix Mercury 1521.41711.07–1111–74–143–7
9eMinnesota Lynx 1422.38912.08–107–117–114–6
10eAtlanta Dream 1422.38912.05–138–106–123–7
11eLos Angeles Sparks 1323.36113.06–127–116–123–7
12eIndiana Fever 531.13921.02–163–152–162–8

Notes

(#) – League Standing
x – Clinched playoff berth
e – Eliminated from playoff contention
Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings

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
Nneka Ogwumike 343431.4.544.368.8266.62.01.60.418.1
Liz Cambage 252423.4.509.286.7846.42.10.61.613.0
Brittney Sykes 322428.8.433.269.7703.73.72.00.712.7
Katie Lou Samuelson 322929.5.373.352.8373.01.91.00.29.7
Jordin Canada 322527.0.384.140.8062.35.51.40.29.2
Chennedy Carter 24216.4.450.200.7451.91.90.60.48.9
Lexie Brown 341625.0.441.398.6672.32.11.00.27.1
Chiney Ogwumike 26718.4.466.444.7065.51.10.80.37.0
Kristi Toliver 111019.8.373.361.8750.83.10.40.04.0
Olivia Nelson-Ododa 30614.5.566.000.7032.90.40.30.84.0
Kianna Smith 11010.3.314.2781.0000.80.50.40.02.6
Rae Burrell 3114.7.111.1671.0001.00.30.70.01.7
Jasmine Walker 3218.8.250.2001.0001.50.20.20.11.6
Amy Atwell 418.0.111.167.0000.50.50.00.00.8


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

Awards and honors

RecipientAwardDate awardedRef.
Nneka Ogwumike WNBA All-Star Starter June 22 [23]
Western Conference Player of the Week June 27 [24]
All-WNBA Second Team September 15 [25]
Brittney Sykes All-Defensive Second Team August 30 [26]

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References

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