The year is 2024 and the Los Angeles Sparks are amidst their biggest playoff drought in franchise history. They just saw their star player, Nneka Ogwumike, walk out the door, and they are closer to the WNBA basement than they are to title contention.
The atmosphere during media day, however, was upbeat. Players, head coach Curt Miller and general manager Raegan Pebley were all smiles and full of optimism as the team officially embarked on the 2024 season. At media day, Pebley said:
We want our top six to be arguably starters for any other team in this league. We want every player on this roster to be high EQ, high IQ, great culture fit, great skill sets that fit the system that Curt’s building. We believe those things can all lead to that WNBA championship.
The road to a title may be far away, but the marathon begins now, so let’s take a look at what the season might look like in Los Angeles.
Embrace the new school
It’s a new era of Sparks basketball, with the team drafting Cameron Brink as the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft and Rickea Jackson at the No. 4 selection. It’s unclear how good they’ll be, but it is clear they’ll have every opportunity to showcase their talent here in Southern California.
Brink averaged a double-double during her senior year at…
