Tag: Los Angeles Sparks

See Cameron Brink’s epic New Balance ad with Shohei Ohtani and Coco Gauff

Shohei Ohtani. CoCo Gauff. Cameron Brink. YES.

Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink is in a new ad for New Balance with six other sports stars, including Shohei Ohtani and Coco Gauff, and it’s fantastic.

Cameron Brink, who the Sparks drafted at No. 2 overall on Monday, is having one heck of a week. Brink, who’s had a NIL deal — now likely turned endorsement — with New Balance since 2023, is in an epic ad with several sports giants.

As part of New Balance’s “We Got Now” campaign, the company recently released another commercial with Brink in it. I have to say, the list of athletes she’s with is super impressive. This is my kind of carrying-on.

Photos of Rickea Jackson at 2024 WNBA draft

Photos of Lady Vols’ Rickea Jackson at the 2024 WNBA draft.

The 2024 WNBA draft was held on Monday at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York.

Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson was selected by Los Angeles in the first round (No. 4 overall). She is the fourth consecutive Lady Vol selected in the first round of the WNBA draft during the last four years.

The Lady Vols have produced 44 all time selections in WNBA college drafts and 46 including elite drafts.

Jackson averaged 20.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the 2023-24 season at Tennessee. She played for the Lady Vols from 2022-24 after transferring from Mississippi State.

Below are photos of Jackson at the 2024 WNBA draft.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes picked No. 28 by L.A. Sparks in WNBA draft

McKenzie Forbes stays in Los Angeles with the Sparks.

The USC Trojans placed multiple players in the 2024 WNBA draft. The first one off the board was McKenzie Forbes at No. 28 to the Los Angeles Sparks. Forbes was a central performer for USC women’s basketball this past season, helping JuJu Watkins and the Women of Troy reach the Elite Eight.

Lindsay Gottlieb, who coached Forbes at Cal several years ago before going to the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and then returning to the college game at USC, reunited with Forbes and brought her from Harvard via the transfer portal. Forbes proved to be an essential piece of the supporting-cast puzzle for USC, becoming a dependable and trusted teammate for Watkins in her freshman season. Forbes was a veteran voice Watkins looked up to and learned from. Forbes was able to play off JuJu and get open looks for 3-pointers. When she knocked them down, USC was an extremely tough team to beat. Forbes hit very big shots in March, starring in USC’s win over Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game. She also made very significant contributions to NCAA Tournament wins over Kansas in the second round and Baylor in the Sweet 16.

The Sparks are getting a smart, tough, selfless, team-first player who is willing to defend and rebound and do the dirty work at all times. When her shots aren’t falling, Forbes will still give maximum effort at the defensive end, the mark of a mature two-way basketball player. We wish Forbes the best of luck in the WNBA.

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Rickea Jackson selected by Los Angeles in WNBA draft

Rickea Jackson selected No. 4 in WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson was selected by Los Angeles in the first round of the 2024 WNBA draft.

Jackson was the No. 4 overall selection in the draft, which was held Monday at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York.

The Sparks were 17-23 in 2023 and have missed the playoffs for the last three seasons. Los Angeles also had the No. 2 overall pick and selected Stanford’s Cameron Brink.

Jackson was recently named honorable mention by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

She also earned honorable mention All-America honors two times at Mississippi State.

Jackson was a first-team All-SEC standout and has received All-America honorable mention acclaims from USBWA and the Associated Press.

Jackson received all-conference honors from USA TODAY Sports and the league’s coaches. She was also a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award for a second consecutive year, recognizing the nation’s top forward.

The former Lady Vol averaged 20.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the 2023-24 season.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Which city should host future WNBA All-Star games?

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that Indianapolis could potentially host in future years.

The 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend is taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Mercury. This is the third time the Mercury have hosted the event. There are current W teams who have never hosted an All-Star weekend. Could they be a target in the years to come?

In the history of the WNBA All-Star Game, Indianapolis, which hosted the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, is one of four cities with a W franchise that has never hosted the weekend, joining Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert commented that perhaps Indianapolis could be in the cards to host in future years.

“No doubt about it,” Engelbert said when asked if the league would consider a WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. “Summer’s nice here; we won’t have that snow in July. Absolutely. I have been so impressed with the branding of the city, the support of the city … I know that in the state, in the city, basketball is so popular. I mean, it’s pretty incredible.”

See what cities could potentially host WNBA All-Star Weekend.

Raegan Pebley joins Los Angeles Sparks as general manager

Los Angeles Sparks hired Raegan Pebley as general manager, replacing Karen Bryant, who will focus solely on the team’s business operations.

The Los Angeles Sparks hired Raegan Pebley as general manager, replacing Karen Bryant, who will focus solely on the team’s business operations. Pebley briefly played in the WNBA and had a successful 21-year head coaching career in college. She was also recently a TV analyst for the Dallas Wings from 2016-2023 and served on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association board from 2018-2023.

“I am so thankful for the opportunity that Eric Holoman and Karen Bryant have extended me to serve an organization that believes in the transformational impact women’s basketball can have on a community and society,” Pebley said. “The tradition and legacy of the Sparks have played a key role in the current trajectory and growth we are seeing in women’s sports. I am eager to partner with our players, front office, coaching staff and community as we foster a culture where our players are resourced with all the tools they need as they courageously chase the best version of themselves and compete for WNBA championships.”

Pebley will benefit from the work Bryant put into the team last season, and the plan was always to identify a permanent general manager to replace Bryant. Bryant’s time as general manager last season included “assembling a first-class staff led by head coach Curt Miller, signing key veterans in free agency and acquiring multiple first-round picks for our future.”

“We are excited to name Raegan Pebley the General Manager of the LA Sparks,” managing partner and governor Eric Holoman said. “Raegan is an exceptional leader and culture builder. She has deep knowledge of the women’s basketball landscape and brings expertise in player development, talent evaluation, analytics and organizational leadership. I’m looking forward to partnering with her as the Sparks begin the next phase of our build.”

The Sparks hold multiple first-round draft picks in the 2024 WNBA draft.

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Fever snag top pick in 2024 WNBA draft for second straight year

By missing the 2023 WNBA playoffs, Indiana, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle qualified for the 2024 draft lottery.

On Sunday, the Indiana Fever won the 2024 WNBA draft lottery and will have the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft held on Monday, April 15, 2024.

This is the second consecutive year the Fever will pick first in the draft.

The Fever selected South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston in the 2023 WNBA draft, who then went on to be voted the WNBA Rookie of the Year. The other three teams who participated in the lottery were the Los Angeles Sparks, who will have the second selection; the Phoenix Mercury, who will select third; and the Seattle Storm, who will select fourth.

By missing the 2023 WNBA playoffs, Indiana, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle qualified for the 2024 draft lottery.

The selection order for the remainder of the first, second and third rounds is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective 2023 regular season records, taking into account trades and negotiations that might have affected draft order.

The remaining first-round draft order (based on 2023 record):           

5. Dallas from Chicago (18-22)

6. Washington (19-21)

7. Minnesota (19-21)

8. Atlanta (19-21)

9. Dallas (22-18)

10. Connecticut (27-13)

11. New York (32-8)

12. Los Angeles from Las Vegas (34-6)

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WNBA players set to participate in FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League

Nia Clouden recently signed with Rwanda Energy Group to participate in the FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League.

Los Angeles Sparks guard Nia Clouden recently signed with Rwanda Energy Group women’s basketball team to participate in the FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL). 

Clouden was selected No. 12 overall in the 2022 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. She played college basketball at Michigan State and was claimed off waivers to join the Sparks for the 2023 season.

Point guard Tiffany Mitchell of the Minnesota Lynx also recently signed with REG. Mitchell was drafted ninth overall in the 2016 WNBA draft out of the University of South Carolina. Mitchell recently had her jersey retired at South Carolina and was the first jersey retired under head coach Dawn Staley.

Rwanda is currently ranked 74th after the FIBA Women’s Continental Championships, but they are steadily moving up the rankings. With the addition of Mitchell and Clouden, the Rwandan team is looking to make a splash at the tournament and vying for a medal.

The tournament will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from Dec. 11-19.

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Fever, Sparks, Mercury and Storm will vie for No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick

The Fever will have the most chances to land the top pick and are guaranteed at least the third pick.

The 23rd annual WNBA draft lottery will be broadcast on Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm will vie for the No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick.

The Fever secured the top spot in the 2023 draft and selected Aliyah Boston No. 1 overall. Boston was unanimously named the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year and received all 60 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

The 2024 draft is currently scheduled to take place on April 15, 2024. Lottery odds are based on the cumulative records of the two most recent regular seasons (2022 and 2023). The Fever will have the most chances to land the top pick and are guaranteed at least the third pick. Phoenix has the next highest likelihood of winning the No. 1 spot, followed by the Sparks and Storm.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round, second round and third round is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective 2023 regular season records, taking into account trades and negotiations that might have affected draft order.

The remaining first-round draft order (based on 2023 record):           

5. Dallas from Chicago (18-22)

6. Washington (19-21)

7. Minnesota (19-21)

8. Atlanta (19-21)

9. Dallas (22-18)

10. Connecticut (27-13)

11. New York (32-8)

12. Los Angeles from Las Vegas (34-6)

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Lexie Brown drops 26 points in Los Angeles Sparks’ overtime win

She is averaging 14.5 point per game, 2.8 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists per game.

Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown is a WNBA champion, an Athletes Unlimited basketball player and was drafted ninth in the 2018 WNBA draft, but she is just getting started.

Brown dropped 26 points to help the Sparks defeat the Phoenix Mercury, 99-93, in overtime on Friday. The 26 points were a career high for Brown and included a much-needed 3-pointer with 1:03 left in overtime.

She is averaging 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and a little less than 30 minutes per game.

Brown, however, is more than an athlete and worked with the ACC Network as a college women’s basketball analyst during the 2022-23 season. She is also a member of Athletes Unlimited’s player executive committee. If she wasn’t playing basketball, she would want to be a general manager of a sports team, which makes sense since she has an undergraduate degree in sociology and a master’s in business administration.

She’s a student of the game of basketball and learned directly from her father, Dee Brown, who played 14 seasons in the NBA and coached two franchises in the WNBA. She is entering her sixth season in the league and seems to be hitting her stride both on and off the court.

Her 26-point game caused quite a stir on social media with people acknowledging her impeccable play.

The Sparks are in action again on June 3 when they take on the Seattle Storm at 7 p.m. PT at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game is available nationally on CBS Sports Network.

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