Despite not reaching the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Sparks made strides as a team and a front office to become a contending franchise. The Sparks ended their season with a 21-23 overall record, narrowly missing the eighth seed of the Playoffs by two wins.
The efforts of center Azurá Stevens and Rickea Jackson gave the Sparks a competitive edge throughout the season. Stevens led Los Angeles with 8.0 rebounds per game and earned 10 double-doubles. Her 12.8 points per game is a three-point improvement from last season.
“I think it was a great year for me and I think everybody got to see what I can do when I’m healthy,” Stevens said. “That was a plus for me.”
Jackson rose to be a key attribute on offense, scoring 14.7 points per game. In late August, she reached 1000 career points. She noted how forwards Emma Cannon and Sania Feagin helped her throughout the season.
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“Them two really kept me sane this year and just pushing me and being there for me but also giving me my flowers,” Jackson said. “They saw me on a different level and they don’t understand how much they helped me as a player, as a person.”
The Sparks struggled early in the season but found their stride in July. After the All Star Break, Los Angeles won six of seven games; They scored in the triple digits in five of the six wins.
“I think we have a lot of the right pieces and I know we have the right head coach,” said Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley. “The installation of things that matter to sustainable success. Standards come before a status.”
Guard Kelsey Plum led the team with 19.5 points per game. Her efforts earned her a spot on the 2025 AP All-WNBA Second Team. With forward Dearica Hamby scoring 18.4 points per game, they were one of the highest scoring duos in the WNBA.
“For us post-All Star, we were where we wanted to be, we just didn’t get it together soon enough,” Plum said. “Looking back, what went right was obviously offensively, we’ve been really high level. I think defensively, that’s the biggest area of growth in the offseason.”
This was the first season for Lynne Roberts not only as head coach for the Sparks but as a coach in the WNBA. This season shows promise that Roberts and the core players of the squad has what it takes to contend in the future.
“I rather have a slow burn than a quick fix,” Hamby said. “I wanted to build something for the years to come with the core that we have.”
