The Los Angeles Sparks fired head coach Lynne Roberts on Friday morning, less than a day after a 76-75 loss to the Golden State Valkyries ended their season.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne first reported the dismissal. The Sparks confirmed it shortly after in a statement from special adviser Farhan Zaidi.
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“We are grateful to Lynne for the commitment and determination she brought to the role, which was evident all the way through our last game last night,” Zaidi said. “Lynne has cared deeply about our organization and for our players and their development. We sincerely thank her for everything she has invested in the Sparks and wish her and her family the best moving forward.”
Roberts went 37-51 across two seasons in Los Angeles. The Sparks finished 21-23 in her first year and 16-28 this season, and they missed the playoffs both times.
Their last postseason appearance came in 2020. The six-year drought is the longest active one in the WNBA.
Thursday’s loss came on the final night of the regular season. Los Angeles finished tied with the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky at 16-28.
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Roberts Lasted Two Seasons With Sparks
Former general manager Raegan Pebley hired Roberts in November 2024. Roberts had spent nine-plus seasons at Utah, where she was the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and reached the Sweet 16 that same season. She replaced Curt Miller, whose final Sparks team went 8-32 in 2024.
The Sparks fired Pebley on July 12 with the team at 10-11. Los Angeles went 6-17 the rest of the way.
Assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen ran the front office on an interim basis after Pebley’s dismissal. On Sept. 4, the Sparks named Ariana Andonian general manager. She came from the Philadelphia 76ers, where she was vice president of player personnel and general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the team’s G League affiliate. Andonian is the sixth general manager in franchise history.
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Sparks Roster Changed Throughout Season
Before this season, Los Angeles signed Nneka Ogwumike to a one-year deal and re-signed Kelsey Plum. On April 12, the Sparks sent Rickea Jackson, the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft, to Chicago for Ariel Atkins in a sign-and-trade.
Plum was averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists when she was ruled out for four weeks in late June. She played in 12 games.
The Sparks traded her to the Mercury before the Aug. 2 deadline for Monique Akoa Makani, Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.
Cameron Brink, the No. 2 pick in 2024, appeared in a career-high 31 games this season. She has played 65 games across three seasons.
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Roberts Pointed to Injuries, Organizational Change
Hours before the Sparks let her go, Roberts said the team’s president had been on the job for four months.
“I think we’ve had two tough years of injuries, and I’m not trying to blame anything on that, it’s just the reality,” Roberts said. “There has been a lot of change. Our president’s been here … four months. So just again, so much change.”
Ogwumike announced on Aug. 19 that she will retire from the WNBA at the end of this season. The 11-time All-Star and 2016 MVP passed Tamika Catchings for fifth on the league’s all-time scoring list in May.
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Sparks Face Another Coaching Search
Roberts was the Sparks’ fourth head coach since 2022. Derek Fisher left midway through the 2022 season, Fred Williams finished that year as interim coach, and Miller coached the next two seasons.
Los Angeles holds Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick from the Plum trade. The Mercury also finished 16-28.
