Los Angeles Sparks

About Los Angeles Sparks

The Los Angeles Sparks are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1997, the Sparks are one of the eight original WNBA teams. Also one of the teams that participated in the league's inaugural game, the Sparks are the sister team of the Los Angeles Lakers. Since their inception, the Sparks have been a focal point of the league. The team's major star has always been former USC standout Lisa Leslie, who has led the Sparks since the team's inception.

Uniform: Gold with purple lines on the side at home, with the name Sparks written across in purple. Purple with golden yellow lines on the side on the road, with the name Los Angeles in Yellow. The uniform looks similar to the Los Angeles Lakers' uniform.

The 1997 WNBA season, the league's first, opened with a game between Los Angeles and the New York Liberty that the Sparks lost. Sparks player Penny Toler scored the league's first two points with a lay-up in that game. The Sparks had what many considered to be a disappointing season in 1997, finishing with a record of 14–14. The team did compete for a playoff spot, but thanks to a loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the final game of the season, it missed the playoffs. In 1998, the Sparks finished 12–18, missing the playoffs once more.