Los Angeles Sparks

The Los Angeles Sparks announced that the franchise and head coach Curt Miller have mutually agreed to part ways after two seasons.

The Sparks went a WNBA-worst 8-32 in 2024, one year after Miller led Los Angeles to a 17-23 mark that left the team just short of the playoffs.

Injuries and illness affected key members of the Sparks in 2023, with Layshia Clarendon (foot), Lexie Brown (Crohn's disease) and Chiney Ogwumike (Achilles) all missing time.

In 2024, the team went in the wrong direction, notably finishing last in offensive rating. But the rebuilding Sparks were considered a long shot to win the title and notably lost No. 2 overall draft pick Cameron Brink to a torn ACL after just 15 games.

In a year marked with more injury and instability, the Sparks started 13 different players, and only three (Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson and Kia Nurse) started at least half the team's games.

Miller arrived in Los Angeles after seven seasons (2016-2022) leading the Connecticut Sun, which went 140-86 under his watch. He was also the team's general manager. The Sun made the playoffs in Miller's final six seasons, reaching the WNBA Finals in 2019 and 2022. Connecticut fell to the Washington Mystics and Las Vegas Aces in those years, respectively.

Miller also won WNBA Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and 2021. In 2017, Miller led the Sun to a seven-win improvement (14-20 to 21-13) and the playoffs, earning Executive of the Year honors as well. In 2021, Connecticut went a WNBA-best 26-6 in the regular season.

After the 2022 season, Miller sought a new challenge with the Sparks, who had just gone 13-23 and fired head coach/GM Derek Fisher after 12 games into his second year with L.A.

"It's a special franchise with an incredible fan base with so much knowledge of women's basketball," Miller said regarding the Sun at the time, per ESPN's Michael Voepel.

"But I'm a builder, and there's just something so fun about that. And L.A. is in this era right now, a new beginning. I think it's an opportunity with the Sparks to come in and retool and rebuild it and chase a fourth championship for the franchise."

Ultimately, it didn't work out in Los Angeles, although both sides parted public ways amicably.

"I want to thank the entire Sparks organization for the opportunity to lead and help rebuild the franchise," Miller said, per a team press release.

"I am proud of the culture created in our locker room and strongly believe the roots have been established for a bright future. The team is now positioned for success, and I wish the players the best heading into the 2025 season."

Governor and Managing Partner Eric Holoman said:

"On behalf of our ownership group and franchise, I would like to thank Coach Miller for his passion and commitment to the Sparks organization these past two seasons. We wish him well moving forward."

The 55-year-old Miller coached in college from 1991-2014, including stops as Bowling Green and Indiana's head coach. He moved to the WNBA in 2015 as the Sparks' assistant coach before leaving for Connecticut.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers landed No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks in a WNBA 2025 mock draft published by ESPN's Michael Voepel on Tuesday.

Here's a look at the entire first round below.

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WNBA Mock Draft Via ESPN's Michael Voepel

1. Los Angeles Sparks: UConn senior guard Paige Bueckers

2. Dallas Wings: USC senior power forward Kiki Iriafen

3. Chicago Sky: LSU senior small forward Aneesah Morrow

4. Washington Mystics: UConn junior shooting guard Azzi Fudd

5. Golden State Valkyries: Notre Dame junior point guard Olivia Miles

6. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta Dream): Maryland senior point guard Shyanne Sellers

7. New York Liberty (from Phoenix Mercury): Tarbes Gespe Bigorre (France) center Dominique Malonga

8. Indiana Fever: UCLA junior power forward Janiah Barker

9. Seattle Storm: Texas senior point guard Rori Harmon

10. Chicago Sky (from Connecticut Sun): South Carolina senior guard Te-Hina Paopao

11. Minnesota Lynx: Notre Dame senior shooting guard Sonia Citron

12. Phoenix Mercury (from New York Liberty): Kentucky graduate student point guard Georgia Amoore

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Note that the current draft order is unknown for multiple reasons.

For starters, the draft lottery still needs to be held for the four teams who missed the playoffs (Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics). The lottery teams are currently listed in reverse order of their regular-season record.

At 8-32, the last-place Sparks have a 44.2 percent chance to get the No. 1 pick, per Tankathon. Then it's the 9-31 Dallas Wings (27.6 percent) followed by the 13-27 Chicago Sky (17.8 percent) and 14-26 Washington Mystics (10.4 percent).

It's also unknown where the WNBA will slot the league's 2025 expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries.

Regardless of which team lands No. 1, it's clear that Bueckers is the favorite to go first at this time.

Bueckers averaged 21.9 points on 53.0 percent shooting (41.6 percent from three), 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season. She led the 33-win Huskies to a Big East title and an appearance in the Final Four, where they fell to the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes.

It was an incredible comeback season for Bueckers after missing the entire 2022-23 campaign with a torn ACL in her left knee. Bueckers also previously sat nearly three months during the 2021-22 season. Before that year, Bueckers also underwent right ankle surgery to address an osteochondral defect.

Given everything Bueckers endured and persevered through, her accomplishments last year are simply tremendous. There's no doubting Bueckers' superstar talent, and she can instantly transform any franchise.

The Sparks would be a great fit in particular. They already have their long-term big in Cameron Brink, the 2024 No. 2 overall draft pick who was shining on the defensive end (2.3 blocks per game) before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. Brink also flashed offensively at times, notably scoring 16 points in her last full game.

Bueckers would be the team's backcourt leader, of course, and create a one-two punch with Brink that could be a serious problem for opposing teams.

We'll see what transpires down the road. In the meantime, the lottery still needs to be held. No date has been set yet, but last year's edition took place on Dec. 10 for reference. The college basketball season begins in November, with Bueckers' Huskies beginning their campaign on the 3rd against Fort Hays State.

The Phoenix Mercury rallied to earn an 85-81 comeback win on the road over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night, but they had to do so without star center Brittney Griner.

While battling for rebounding position after a free throw late in the second quarter, Griner and Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson got into a shoving match that resulted in both of them being ejected from the game:

Griner appeared to take exception to Jackson's arm making contact with her face while they were trying to box each other out. The two of them came face-to-face and shoved one another before Griner was restrained by a member of the Mercury's security detail while Jackson was held back by her teammates.

Prior to her ejection, Griner looked like she was on her way to a dominant performance. She scored 14 points in 14 minutes on 7-of-8 shooting and added three rebounds, two blocks and an assist. Her point total tied with Sophie Cunningham for the team lead despite missing the entire second half. Jackson chipped in eight points across 20 minutes for the Sparks before being removed from the game.

The Mercury made up for Griner's absence by outscoring the Sparks 28-10 in the third quarter before closing out the victory. Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud had 13 points apiece as Phoenix's starting five outscored Los Angeles' starters 57-34.

At 19-20, the Mercury clinched the No. 7 seed in the 2024 playoffs and will face the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round. Griner appears to be peaking at the right time, as she dropped 26 points in back-to-back games before Tuesday's contest.

Phoenix will close out the regular season on Thursday at home against the Seattle Storm.

Cameron Brink's season-ending ACL injury isn't stopping the Los Angeles Sparks rookie from growing her profile away from the court.

"Keeping the main thing, the main thing is really important because even though my W contract may not be as much as I'm making off the court, that is how I show up in this space and that's what I love to do," she said at CNBC and Boardroom's Game Plan Summit.

"So I've been rehabbing really hard. I did a shoot with LegalZoom, probably seven days after I got injured… and it just kind of reminded me like this injury is not going to limit me. I can still be a businesswoman."

Brink got overshadowed somewhat coming into the WNBA because she was in the same draft class as Caitlin Clark. The 6'4" forward was on her way to having a big year defensively before tearing her ACL. Through 15 games, she was averaging 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, the latter of which trails only Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson.

The sizable portfolio Brink built while competing at Stanford has followed her to the pros as well. She was among the athletes featured in Puma's "We Got Now" ad campaign that dropped in April.

Even with the financial gains WNBA players made in the last collective bargaining agreement, they're incentivized to build their brands away from basketball and in some cases compete year-round.

In the case of Brink, she gets less than $80,000 in each of the first two years of her rookie contract, and her salary climbs to $85,873 in 2026. Her WNBA contract probably accounts for a fraction of her yearly earnings.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink posted a photo on Instagram following surgery on a torn ACL that ended her rookie season in the WNBA.

"So much change, yet so much joy," Brink wrote in the caption.

Cameron Brink staying positive after her recent ACL surgery. pic.twitter.com/phUoCjLvMx

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 25, 2024

The 22-year-old suffered the injury during the first quarter of Los Angeles' 79-70 loss to the Connecticut Sun on June 18.

Prior to her exit, she was in the midst of an impressive inaugural season. Brink showed why she was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game. She was excellent on the defensive end of the court, as her 2.3 blocks per game represented the third-highest average among all players (via WNBA.com).

The Sparks have struggled with their interior defense in her absence, going 0-2 since her injury and allowing an average of 95.5 points per game. Los Angeles has dropped to an overall record of 4-13, the second-worst mark in the Western Conference.

Brink's injury also meant that she was unable to participate in the women's 3x3 team in the 2024 Summer Olympics, as she was replaced by Sparks teammate Dearica Hamby on the roster.

Although she faces a long road to recovery, Brink's approaching her rehab with a positive mindset.

The Los Angeles Sparks announced rookie forward Cameron Brink suffered a torn ACL in Tuesday's 79-70 loss to the Connecticut Sun.

The No. 2 overall pick went down in the first quarter and had to be helped back to the locker room.

Cameron Brink was carried to the locker room after this play. pic.twitter.com/5TptEkw65a

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2024

Brink also shared the news on social media, saying that she "will not be derailed" by the injury:

Cameron Brink shared a message after the news of her left torn ACL. pic.twitter.com/F8nPEgmCsd

— espnW (@espnW) June 19, 2024

Brink averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 15 games. While her offense remains a work in progress — 39.8 percent shooting overall — she hit the ground running on defense.

The Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson are the only players swatting away more shots per game, and Brink has displayed a natural intuition belying her lack of experience in the pros.

Her injury is a massive blow for the Sparks, who are 4-11 but at least had Brink's development as something to get excited about for the future. This is an even bigger setback for the 22-year-old because she going to represent the United States in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Bring was among the four players selected for the women's 3x3 team, joining Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard and Hailey Van Lith. She had helped the United States win gold in the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup last year.

Brink was overcome with emotion when told she made the team and was shown her jersey:

Our Olympic Spark ✨@cameronbrink22 is Paris bound! 🇺🇸 #3x3WNT pic.twitter.com/KuSfaQFguJ

— USA Basketball 3x3 (@usab3x3) June 5, 2024

"My first dream before being a WNBA player was to be an Olympian, so it's amazing," she said to the Los Angeles Times' Marissa Kraus. "It's one of the highest honors as a basketball player, so I don't take it lightly."

By the time the 2028 Summer Olympics roll around, Brink may have put herself in the frame for the full 5x5 national team. But that will offer little comfort now as she faces a long recovery process just to get back onto the court.

Los Angeles Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink suffered a left knee injury during the first quarter of her team's road game against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.

Brink, the 2024 draft's No. 2 overall pick and ex-Stanford star, was carried back to the locker room. The Sparks later announced that she would not return.

Cameron Brink was carried to the locker room after this play. pic.twitter.com/5TptEkw65a

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2024

Cameron Brink was carried to the locker room after an apparent leg injury

Hope she's okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/stSYew66rB

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 18, 2024

The injury occurred as the 22-year-old drove to the basket on Sun center Brionna Jones. Brink fell to the court during the drive, which culminated in a Jones personal foul after a small amount of contact.

Brink initially limped off the court herself but then stopped on the sideline before being carried to the back.

The rookie, who has shined on the defensive end, entered Tuesday averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. She had just scored 16 points—her second-highest total of her WNBA career—in her most recent matchup on Sunday against the Atlanta Dream.

It was a scary sight in Connecticut as Brink went down and then struggled to get to the locker room on her own power. The hope, obviously, is that her injury isn't too serious and she's able to return to the court at full health soon enough.

In the interim, she is receiving plenty of well-wishes and prayers, including from Los Angeles Lakers legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.

Sending prayers to Cameron Brink right now. Hoping that this is not a serious injury! 🙏🏾

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 19, 2024

Brink starred at Stanford before entering the WNBA, winning a national title in 2021, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2022 and 2024 and garnering consensus All-American honors in 2024.

Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink has gotten off to a solid start in her rookie year, and she's now earned the opportunity to compete for an Olympic gold medal.

Brink was named to the Team USA 3-on-3 basketball team for the Paris Olympics on Wednesday along with TCU guard Hailey Van Lith, Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard and former WNBA forward Cierra Burdick.

The No. 2 pick in this year's draft, Brink has started all eight games for the 2-6 Sparks and is averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. While her offensive numbers are somewhat modest, she has shown signs of being a force on the defensive end, averaging 1.1 steals and ranking third in the WNBA with 2.6 blocks per game.

Van Lith was an All-American during the 2022-23 season when she played for Louisville, and she transferred to LSU last season in hopes of competing for a national championship. Unfortunately, the team fell short against Caitlin Clark's Iowa squad in the Elite Eight and she chose to transfer to TCU after the season after averaging 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in her lone year with the Tigers.

Howard hasn't taken long to establish herself as one of the top players in the WNBA, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 and All-Star selections in each of the last two seasons. She's averaging 16.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists while ranking second in the league with 2.6 steals this season.

Burdick is the most experienced player on the team, as the 30-year-old has competed in numerous 3-on-3 events and won gold medals at the Pan American Games and the FIBA World Cup.

Team USA is seeking a second straight women's 3-on-3 gold medal following the win by Jackie Young, Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Plum at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Cameron Brink knows there has been plenty of discussion about the physical play this year's WNBA rookie class is adjusting to and facing.

But she also knows it's nothing they can't handle.

"It's humbling," the Los Angeles Sparks forward told Bleacher Report. "It's definitely a huge step up. But I don't think it's anything the rookie class isn't ready for. We need some time and deserve some time as rookies to learn and go through this. We'll make adjustments. That's the great thing about being a rookie, you have some time to make mistakes even though it's also hard to navigate the newness of it."

Much has been made about the step up in physical play that comes with the transition into the WNBA, and it reached another level after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter knocked Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark to the ground during Saturday's game.

Carter criticized the star rookie in the aftermath, and the situation led to discourse about the Fever needing enforcers around Clark—who previously told reporters she feels "like I'm getting hammered."

For her part, Brink is a frontcourt player who battles down low against some of the league's most physical players whenever she takes the floor. She also had her own welcome to the WNBA moment in her first ever game, which just so happened to be against the Atlanta Dream and 2012 MVP Tina Charles.

While Charles welcomed her to the league with 21 points and 14 rebounds, Brink still appreciated the overall experience.

"Playing against Tina Charles was really humbling," she said. "She's been in the league for so long and is such a strong force. Unguardable, honestly. When she gets to her middle jump hook, you can't really do much.

"But I kind of laugh at this narrative that veterans mistreat rookies. At the end of the day, it's just competition. Right after the game, she said great job. And everyone has super encouraging things to say. Even Diana Taurasi when we played against the Phoenix Mercury. It's humbling, but everyone is very supportive and I learn something new every day."

Capitalizing on those learning opportunities will be key, as there are plenty of expectations on her shoulders after a dominant college career at Stanford.

She left college as a Cardinal legend with a national championship, three All-American selections and three Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year awards on her resume.

Never was she better than in 2023-24 as the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Pac-12 Player of the Year and member of the Associated Press All-American First Team while averaging 17.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.8 assists per game and shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from deep.

Brink was already going to be a top draft pick based on her defense alone, but elevating her offense and even mixing in an outside shot during her final season resulted in being the No. 2 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft.

That put her under the spotlight heading into her rookie season, and she is taking a very specific approach to finding success in this first year.

"For me personally, learning a lot," Brink said when asked what would make this a successful rookie campaign. "I believe in learning years, I believe in the power of growth and giving yourself grace. I'm going to work my hardest every single night to make sure we win and keep it really competitive, but this year is about growing and learning. I'm all about growing in every aspect of my game and my knowledge of basketball as both a player and a teammate."

Some of that growth has already been apparent through eight contests, as she is averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals a night while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three as someone who is impacting the game in a variety of ways.

And she's also circling one matchup yet to come on her calendar.

"I say this out of respect because I'm going to learn something from it and not because I feel like I really want to go up against her. To be honest I don't," she said. "But Breanna Stewart is a huge role model of mine. I feel like just guarding her versatility will be a huge learning experience for me. So I look forward to that."

Brink will need to learn quickly because her first chance to face the two-time champion, two-time MVP and five-time All-Star will come in back-to-back games on June 20 and June 22 against the New York Liberty.

She will also need to be well-rested for those games, which makes her recent partnership with Mattress Firm ideal.

Brink is the founding member of Mattress Firm's "Team Sleep Well," which is partnering athletes with sleep doctors and sleep technology to focus on the importance of sleep and rest in the sports world.

She will be joined by professional runner Kenny Bednarek and other yet-to-be-announced athletes to promote the importance of rest and recovery in reaching their full athletic potential.

"It's been amazing," Brink said of the partnership. "I am the founding member of Team Sleep Well, and that means I am amplifying voices and talking about the importance of sleep. The premise of it is to connect sleep experts with top athletes to optimize every ounce that we can for rest and recovery.

"It's important to talk about good sleep. Even if you're not an athlete, sleep is the most important thing for your body. So this was the perfect partnership."

That sleep will also better prepare her to help the Sparks add to their rich history that includes three championships, five WNBA Finals appearances and 20 playoff appearances.

That history also includes some of the best centers and forwards to ever play the game in Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Tina Thompson, Nneka Ogwumike and others, and Brink has the opportunity to continue that frontcourt legacy.

"Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike are some of my favorite players ever, so it's surreal to play where they played and be associated with them," she said. "It's not something I take lightly. I think we really do have the potential to be a great organization. Even though this year is technically a rebuilding year, we can still be really good when we put some pieces together here. We're still all learning together as the season goes on. It's really exciting, and I feel nothing but encouraged."

As she said, this season will likely be a rebuilding one after Los Angeles missed the playoffs three times in a row. A big step in that rebuilding process was selecting Brink at No. 2 overall and Rickea Jackson at No. 4 overall, which elevated expectations even if there is still a gap to close with some of the best teams in the league.

CAMERON BRINK WITH THE REJECTION 🔥

She’s got THREE blocks in the 1st quarter 😤

(via @LASparks) pic.twitter.com/ts011XyYAj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 18, 2024

That gap has been clear at times during a 2-6 start to the season, although the Sparks have been in some battles early on with a single-digit loss to the reigning-champion Las Vegas Aces, a one-point loss to the Dallas Wings and a split in two games against Clark's Fever.

"We're a young team and we had top draft picks for a reason," Brink said while discussing why Sparks fans should still be optimistic. "When you're coming off a year like that, there just has to be some patience and growth to it. I just hope that they see every night we're still playing together and giving it our all.

"People don't realize how hard it is to win in this league. It's extremely difficult, especially with our shortened season because of the Olympic break. It's a lot on our bodies. Through everything, we're just giving our best effort and genuinely enjoy playing with each other. We don't have any moral victories when it's a close game, but we're working through it. And it's not just for this year, it's for 10 years down the line when there could be a lot of greatness in store."

Unlocking that greatness is exactly why the Sparks drafted her.