Paging LA Sparks Olympians(We Need Bullies)

SparksNation holla at ya girl! That was a hard “pill” to swallow last night. It took me about 2hours to “begin” to shake it off, and yet I still have not succeeded! I can tell you one thing I am though, mad. I’m ready to see my team impose their will on this Storm team. Let’s be clear, I’m not crazy…I know that they have some good players on their team, but the leading scorer is out, the lil general is their (Sue Bird), but these “role” players are treating our olympians with no respect.

 Now this was the pick that sent me over the edge last night! You see that elbow in Candace’s rib cage, Ashley Robinson is the “bully” for this Storm team, and last night she had her way. She was pushing, shoving, and carving out space all night long for her fellow teammates. We all know that 1 on 1, Swin Cash cannot do anything but shoot jumpers against Candace Parker, but with picks like that she at the rim. All I want to know is, where are my players at? Tina stays intense, but the rest of the team letting things go! I want bullies!

Lisa Leslie this is your FINAL year donning the Sparks logo (the team you built), we need you now more than ever. I have seen you for 12yrs have your way on the opponent, and Batkovic-Brown will not “cost” you to a title or send you to early retirement. Remember anything less than being in the finals is an early retirement. Get her out of the paint, and Ashley Robinson want’s to be a bully, show the youngster how it’s done.

Delisha Milton-Jones I am CALLING YOU OUT. I have watched you score relentlessly in Washington, and we all know your defensive skills. But last night I saw something from you that I never thought I would see: We up by 1, and you “allow” Camille Little to make a “non-contested” lay up?! I just knew you were going to darn knock her head off if you had too, sending her to the line, but you “gave” her the basket. Even Tina was swinging at her, she just missed. Now I know we got a lot of “new” fans because Candace Parker joined the team, but I know your “name and I know your worth” and last night, that just wasn’t it! When you step on that court tomorrow, I hope I see “D NASTY”…Sunshine can come out when the clock hit’s 00.00!

Honestly, I really don’t have anything to say about the way Tina played last night! We all know that if she was coming off the bench, she would have been 6th woman of the year. She definitely get’s my “iron woman” award. She leads the team in minutes played, and “SWAG LEVEL RAISED”…so I hope everyone else will feed off of that. I think this is the problem we run into with all these Superstars on this team…no one has been established as the go to player. This is the playoffs, nominate the player, and let’s do this!

Now for the reigning MVP…Candace “R U Serious” Parker! We need you to let GO! It’s time for a “R U Serious” moment! For those who may not know what i’m talking about,R U Serious (1:15) mark. I know it was 2yrs ago, but what I’m talking about is the fire she had in her eyes. I know everyone trying to stay “humble” on this team, but we need that from Candace. This will be her team after Lisa leaves, and their is no time like the present for her to assert herself. Candace when you have Swin Cash taking you to the block, and scoring, it’s time to reach down deep and do your thang! I know Swin is a good player, but have you seen how she looks when Candace is coming at her 1 on 1, like a deer in headlights (check the pic above). Let’s be clear, their is not one player in the league, that’s not on The Sparks team, who can check Candace one on one. Now with that being said, she has great assist skills, so people keep moving, she will get you the ball.

On Sunday, I want to see the olympians get it in! It’s time to impose “our” will on the Storm. I’m not looking “past” them by no means…cause just from looking at the regular season matchups we knew that the match up will be intense. I only hope that Michael Cooper will play the “match ups and the hot hand”…Betty Lennox has to be on the floor, she is the best rebounding guard we have. Oh and Ashley Robinson, thanks for waking up the “bullies.”

 

The New Season Begins: LA Sparks Playoffs 2009!!!

SparksNation stand up! We fought, clawed, scratched and have made it to the WNBA playoffs. Now everybody’s record is 0-0…and this is where it counts the most. This is where chemistry must already be developed, the intensity must be up from the coaches to the last player on the bench. Where we as Sparks fans remind the WNBA why the GM’s picked the Sparks to win it all at the beginning of the season. First up-The Seattle Storm!

The above picture shows where the “drama” between these two teams started, in USA basketball! In Sydney Australia at the 2000 olympics, Lisa Leslie became Lauren Jackson’s nightmare. She played Lauren to a “T” and frustrated her, to the point where Lauren pulled out Lisa’s ponytail, swatting it across the court. It was funny because you could tell that Lauren did not know it was fake, because when it came off, Lauren had this petrified look on her face…lol. But Lisa being the champion she is simply stated one fact: “you can have the hair, I want the gold”…and the rest is history. Since then Lauren has went on to lose twice more to Lisa in the olympics…and she can’t stand it! That’s what makes this upcoming playoff series so intriguing.

The Seattle Storm are to my Sparks, what Boston is to my Lakers…a true rival! When that “green” makes it’s way to Staples on Friday night, immediately the “hate” turns on! It’s the one time where, shaking hands and being all smiles goes out the window. In head to head matchups the Storm is ahead 14-11(even though 4 of those wins came in a sweep the year Lisa sat out on maternity leave)…during the regular season, but they have NEVER BEATEN LA IN A PLAYOFF SERIES! Lauren Jackson wants to change this so bad she can taste it. She just wants to beat Lisa at least once before Lisa hangs them up…but sorry LJ it won’t happen. Lisa Leslie will finish her illustrious career on top…with the 2009 WNBA Championship!

This is the look Lauren Jackson will have after another playoff series defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks, but cheer up Lauren you’re still the 2nd best center to play in the league. And should you decide to keep playing in the states, this is what you will have to look forward too: An even worse nightmare, cause you have to chase her all over the floor.

I love Lauren’s competitive edge, and the back and forth she and Lisa do on the court. I love everything about a Sparks vs Storm matchup. I just hope that Coop remembers that Harrower (fellow aussie) cannot stop Sue Bird (proven in olympics) and uses Lennox and Bobbitt to chase her around screens. It’s time now for the MVP to reign supreme. Well actually she already doing that. How you miss almost 2 months of the season, and still lead the league in block shots (2per gm) and double doubles with 14? Simply that’s what MVP’s do.

Sparks “here dey come” by MrFloz
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6467044021b02d97/

 

Hear Dey Come _Sparks Baby_.mp3

Hear Dey Come-LA Sparks

zSHARE – Hear Dey Come _Sparks Baby_.mp3

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LA Sparks on that Title Run!

Hello Sparks fans! We are finally Baaaallllliiiinnnn! The LA Sparks are on a winning streak(6)after defeating the Chicago Sky. I tell you what, this win streak could not have come at a better time, after this win the Sparks now sit in 3rd place in the west 2 games behind Seattle. What has caused this “dramatic” change for the Sparks you may ask, the team is healthy. Finally the entire team is ready to go. Well almost the entire team, Vanessa Hayden-Johnson sprained her ankle in the last game. Lisa Leslie has come back from a knee injury averaging 18pts/10rbs, and the reigning MVP is playing like it again. It only took this SUPERSTAR 2mos to be back at MVP form. In spite of not playing in the first 8 games of the season, Candace Parker now lead the league in double doubles with 9! Yes, Ms you know my name, and you know my worth…I’m the face of the League..I am Candace Parker!
And what else can you say about Lisa Leslie? She has now scored over 6000pts…and since the injury to her knee, she has come out on fire. She is now playing like this is her final season and she wants to make sure it does not end prematurely! Last season Lisa and Candace came up 1.3 seconds short of reaching their destination, and they had far less talent then they have now. With Tina Thompson and Betty Lennox, along with Noelle Quinn(who has turned out to be a baller)the Sparks have the perfect set of “role” players to go all the way.
So Seattle Storm here we come! I suggest you get out of that #2 spot, and drop to fourth, because you don’t want to see us in the first round, and watch a repeat of last season. Even with Lauren Jackson in the line up this time, we won’t be denied. Lauren Jackson and Lisa Leslie’s rivalry goes back a long way, and unfortunately for her, she came when Lisa was just getting started. The olympics, and the WNBA, wherever Lisa is, Lauren has NO win. This is going to be a great story for Lisa to tell Lauren about how her team started the season horribly, but turned it around at the right time and she won her 3rd WNBA title before she retired.

Be sure to check out the Song “Here Dey Come (Sparks Baby)…written by Mr.Floz you can hit him up on twitter.com/MrFloz let him know what you think about it.

 

LISA LESLIE OR LAUREN JACKSON?

Every since 1998 these two ladies have been going at it. It all started in the World Championships. Lisa Leslie has been getting the best of Lauren Jackson when it counts the most, on the WORLD stage, but Lauren Jackson has been coming for that #1 spot for a minute. I know that when Lauren won her WNBA championship in 2004, she felt some of the weight being lifted off of her, but yet the olympics still proved that Lisa was the best center in the world.
Now mind you I am biased here…and ANYTIME I hear someone say that Lauren Jackson is the best female basketball player on the planet..I just shake my head in disgust..it’s like the Kobe and Lebron debate all over again! Lisa Leslie is the BEST female center to ever play the game! Why? 101pts in a game, 4 gold medals, 2 wnba championships..nuff said. I’m not even going into the MVP’s or the fact that she is the All-Time Scoring leader in the WNBA.
The sad part for Lauren is that right now she is considered the best in the league, and it’s mainly because Lisa Leslie is 35yrs old and out with an injury, and THE BEST FEMALE BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THIS GENERATION HAS YET TO LACE THEM UP THIS SEASON..so it’s like when the Spurs won the championship the year the NBA was a short season…like by default. Now don’t get me wrong…I know the “worth” of Lauren Jackson, and I am not ignorant to all she has accomplished, but ease up on the BEST STATEMENTS, cause there are still 27 games to go, and the Sparks have yet to get their 2 best players on the floor at the same time. THAT’S SCARY…GIVE ME LISA!

 

LA Sparks vs Detroit Shock opening day 2009

The Los Angeles Sparks opened their WNBA season versus the defending champs-Detroit Shock. No one ever knows what to expect when these two teams hit the floor(no pun intended) after the fracas from last year starring Candace Parker and Plenette Pierson. Yet today showed two entirely different teams, the Sparks showing off their star-studded lineup with 4 time WNBA champion Tina Thompson(of the now defunct Houston Comets) and 2004 Finals MVP Betty Lennox, who was waived by the Atlanta dream after last season…still shaking my head on that move. Today as the Sparks took the floor, I just wanted to see if I could “identify” this team on the floor. Starters: PG Kristi Harrower SG Betty Lennox SF Tina Thompson PF Delisha Milton Jones C Lisa Leslie, each person on the floor know what it’s like to be a MAJOR contributor for their previous teams, so how would they be willing to sacrifice their games? Well they started with going into the CAPTAIN (Lisa Leslie)from the beginning, but she was off, so as she passed out of double teams, Tina Thompson and Betty Lennox took the cue and went bananas! Tina finished with 18pts/6brds, and Lennox had a double double with 17pts/10brds…one of the best rebounding guards in the league, the other being Alexis Hornbuckle for the Shock.

Deuce Deuce is truly going to be the key to this Sparks team. They are DEEP one through 11, and if Betty Lennox can keep her “cool” she will have her second WNBA Championship. Lisa Leslie shot a dismal 3-11 today and the Sparks were still up by 20, on the play of Tina Thompson and Betty Lennox, also the bench came in and did their job as well. Shannon Bobbitt is on the bench right now, playing behind Noelle Quinn and Kristi Harrower, but she just needs to be patient, because when they need to speed the team up, their is NO BETTER guard.
The Sparks will have to work their offense against a zone defense, because once Detroit began to play zone, the Sparks offense stalled greatly. Yet I believe Michael Cooper will make the correct adjustments. Oh yea I must mention the play of Vanessa Hayden. She was magnificent, 12pts/3rbs in 20minutes of play (going 6-6). So her scoring help to make up for Lisa’s average.
Well the Sparks get to do this again on Monday when they are in Detroit, watching the ring ceremony, hopefully that will get them fired up. Plenette Pierson got tangled up with Tina Thompson today and ended up falling on that bad shoulder, and was out for the rest of the game…Kara Braxton is suspended for 6gms for D.U.I., and Cheryl Ford was still out from tearing her ACL, so they are short-handed right now, but nonetheless a great win for the Sparks in their quest for the Championship.

 

A Fans Perspective of The Los Angeles Sparks 2009

The Los Angeles Sparks are about to embark on the opportunity of a lifetime as an organization! The Sparks fell short of their goal last season. They were 1.3 seconds away from advancing to the WNBA finals.(Darn that Sophia Young..lol)! Now they start this season off with a lot SPARKS..ha…Candace Parker aka CP3 aka female MAGIC aka anything you can do I can do better, aka Mrs ESPN the Magazine aka the WNBA’s first female TRUE MARKETERS DREAM..is OUT at the beginning of the season! I do honestly believe the WNBA is “strong” enough to hold on until Candace Parker grace the court again! The pregnancy of Candace came out of no where, but it’s probably the best thing that could have happened to the Sparks as well as the WNBA. This young lady just turned 23 years old and has nowhere but UP to go in her career. I’m not sure when she will get the “motherhood” bug again, but hopefully little Laila will keep her very busy for a minute.

Now the L.A. Sparks will be the favorites to win the WNBA Championship, as they should be. Boasting a lineup of 4 olympians (3 until CP3 return), and a year older Shannon Bobbitt in the backcourt, with a sharp shooter in Betty Lennox (a Finals MVP with Seattle), 1-10 the Sparks have the best team. I know a lot of people want to see Shannon Bobbitt gone this year, but they truly do not respect this young lady for what she brings to this team. She has a mental toughness that’s is hard to find in ANY athelete…unless your name is Kobe Bryant! No I’m not saying that Shannon is as good as KB24 skill wise, but she loves winning as much as he do!So Sparks fans I promise you, just like people questioned Pat Summitt when she brought Shannon into the #1 program in women College Basketball history, to play along side the #1 player in the country at the time in CP3. Whether your point guard can score or not, the most important part is running the offense, and I believe she is ready to do just that. The woman was a rookie last year, give her a break.
After watching the Sparks only preseason game of this season, versus the Conneticut Sun, Sparks fan better be thanking THE LORD for the signing of Tina Thompson!Tina Thompson has not LOST a thing, but maybe speed on the defensive end. She hit 2 three’s in this game in transition, and pulled the guns out. Oh it’s so good to see her in the purple and gold. Lisa was just being Lisa, dominating on the boards, and playing hard all the time. Yet my focus was on the guard play. Noelle Quinn started this game, and was totally INEFFECTIVE! Turnover after turnover she was not able to get the team going on any level. Then I watched Kristi Harrower come into the game, she was steady, and actually did very well, being that she just came into camp like the day before. I could see her and Shannon Bobbitt being the point guards on this team. The shooting guard spot is a win-win! Betty Lennox with no doubt will be starting, and having Marie Ferdinand-Harris or even Marta Fernandez as a backup is great options for the Sparks. The center position to me is a no-brainer, Vanessa Hayden is the backup to Lisa Leslie. The play of Hayden in that preseason game was classic. I love Jessica Moore because she is a hard-working player, and has been with the Sparks for years, but I think for this championship run, and having to trim down the rosters, she will be the odd woman out. Delisha Milton-Jones is the X-factor for this team to possibly be the first team in WNBA histor to go undefeated in the regular season! It’s a mini USA basketball team. Even if Candace Parker comes in and be a “shell” of herself, it only gives this team a greater chance of becoming a dynasty! Lisa Leslie shouldn’t worry at all, as long as this team stays focus, the WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP IS ASSURED!

 

Lisa Leslie talking bout Lakers game 4 vs nuggets

 

Michael Cooper Keeping Sparks Roster Options Open

Michael Cooper keeping Sparks’ roster options open
6:57 PM, May 22, 2009

Lisa Leslie and her 22-month-old daughter, Lauren Lockwood, pose during a photo session on the Los Angeles Sparks’ basketball media day in Hawthorne, Calif., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. Leslie wants to go out with a bang in the WNBA. The soon-to-be retired All-Star wants a championship and she’s hoping to have teammate Candace Parker back by late June to help her make it happen. After the Sparks’ first week of training camp, Sparks Coach Michael Cooper says “you’re starting to see the clarity in the water a little bit more as far as the type of people we need for our ballclub this year.

“I’m changing lineups obviously to give everybody their best opportunity to show what they can do,” Cooper said. “Just giving everybody their fair chance to assess that properly.”

Cooper maintained he didn’t have a set starting lineup, though he acknowledged the combination of Noelle Quinn, Betty Lennox, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie “is a very good lineup for us.” That unit often played together in Friday’s practice, but players at Wednesday’s media day said Cooper has fielded between five and seven different combinations.

“Obviously with Noelle at the 1 brings us that big 1 that we used to have with Nikki [Teasley] in the years we had our championship,” Cooper said. “Betty is that awesome 2 guard you want to get points in transition as well as out of your set. Both of them can spread the defense. Both are good three-point shooters.”

“D-Nasty (Milton-Jones), you know what she brings at the 3. Tina, we’re seeing more and more of her real value not only to the Houston Comets but to this league with being able to stretch the defense to the NBA [three-point line]. Her tenacity of getting in there and knowing how to win. Smooth [Lisa Leslie] is Smooth. It’s a unique situation to have, but again they say sometimes talent doesn’t win. It has to be brought together right. That’s the coaching’s job. That’s what we’re doing.”

Forward Candace Parker, last season’s most valuable player, gave birth on May 13 to a girl and will miss an undetermined part of the season. Despite the absence, the Sparks are still considered among the preseason favorites to win the WNBA championship this year, a season after falling to the San Antonio Silver Stars last year in the Western Conference finals.

Cooper’s practices mostly entail drills in the morning and scrimmaging in the evening. Because of the WNBA’s rule to cut roster sizes from 13 to 11, Cooper says he’s waiting until June 5 before he’ll decide his complete roster. Silver medalist guard Kristi Harrower hasn’t been at training camp yet, as the Australian native is trying to iron out paperwork upon arrival. Sparks General Manager Penny Toler said through a spokesperson that Harrower is expected to arrive on May 28 or May 29, giving Cooper more reason to keep his options open. The regular season opens June 6 against the Detroit Shock, last year’s WNBA champion.

“In making our team with the 10th or 11th person, they’re not going to impress me a lot by shooting the ball,” said Cooper, who added he plans to rotate nine players each game. “We got people who can shoot the ball. We need people that can get them the basketball and then play defense. Those two attributes will help me a lot as far as determining who’s going to be that 10th or 11th pick.”

Among the players competing for a backcourt position include guard Shannon Bobbitt, guard Marie Ferdinand-Harris and guard Marta Fernandez.

“I think the year overseas definitely helped Bobbitt,” Cooper said. “I think sometimes you just need to play in this league. As a rookie coming out of college, you don’t understand the real significance of being a pro unless you’re playing other pros. It doesn’t help you to play sporadically here or there. So the years she spent in Turkey, it helped her. You can see the maturity that she has.

“Obviously Marie, the year she had last year, was one she would like to have back. I think the fact that shes’s in a right frame of mind. She is looking for that starting spot. So don’t be surprised to see her in the starting position.”

Even though the Sparks have a very loaded frontcourt with four Olympians (including Parker when she returns), Cooper says he’s been impressed with forward Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Ashley Paris. The Sparks selected Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue) in this year’s WNBA draft with its 13th overall pick, while Paris (Oklahoma) was drafted 35th overall in the second round.

Cooper on Wisdom-Hylton: “Active rebounder, real good passer for a big, has that diversity that we like in our bigs in being able to play multiple positions. She showed she can move around to the 3. Five might be out of her realm, but against certain teams she may be able to play the 5 spot.”

Cooper on Paris: “Ashley is a better ball handler than expected. She’s another one that can move out and play multiple positions. I know in college she was mainly just a 4 most of the time. But here she’s probably going to have to put in a little work at the 3. So that’s always a good thing because again the more positions you can play, the more minutes you can spend out on the court.”

Stay tuned for more Sparks coverage.

–Mark Medina

 

Tina officially signs with the LA Sparks!!!!

Sparks Sign Olympian & WNBA Veteran Tina Thompson
E-mail photo
NBAE/Getty Images/Johnny Vy
The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that they have signed WNBA veteran, two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time WNBA Champion Tina Thompson.

Thompson has spent her entire 12-year WNBA career with the Houston Comets leading them to the first four WNBA Championships in league history. Averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds for her career, Thompson had another stellar season in 2008, in which she won her second Olympic gold medal in Beijing and led the Comets in scoring (18.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg).

“We are ecstatic about adding a player of Tina’s caliber and talent to our roster,” said Sparks Head Coach Michael Cooper. “She can dominate on both ends of the floor and will be an integral piece of the puzzle as we look to win another Championship.”

A five-time All-Star and MVP of the 2000 All-Star game, Thompson has been named to the All-WNBA First Team three times (1997, 1998, 2004) and the All-WNBA Second Team five times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007). Ranking second on the WNBA all-time scoring list, she surpassed the 5,000 point mark on June 5, 2008 and now has 5,424 career points.

“I’m excited to be back in Los Angeles because it’s home,” said Tina Thompson. “I’ve been away from home for a long time and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my family and friends again. This is where basketball started for me.”

Originally selected #1 overall in the inaugural WNBA Draft by the Houston Comets in 1997, Thompson has become one of the faces of the WNBA and a legend in her own right. Thompson has averaged double figures in points in each of her 12 WNBA seasons as well as averaged 12.8 ppg over five All-Star game appearances. In 2008, she ranked in the top 10 in the WNBA in 13 categories including 1st in minutes/game, 5th in points/game and 6th in defensive rebounds/game.

A native of Los Angeles, CA, Thompson played high-school basketball at Morningside High before playing four years at the University of Southern California where she was selected to the 1997 Kodak District VIII All-American Team as well as the All Pac-10 First Team. She finished her career as the Pac-10’s third leading scorer (2,248), second leading rebounder (1,168) and was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1994.

With the signing of Thompson, the Sparks become the first team to have four Olympians on their roster. The Sparks current roster owns nine Olympic gold medals, four WNBA MVP awards, the first 6 WNBA Championships and 21 All-Star selections.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Tina’s going back to her days here at USC,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson. “She’s a great woman on and off the court, at the same time a great mother as well. With her championship experience down in Houston, she has what it takes to help Lisa, Coop and the Sparks bring a championship back to L.A. And, I am honored that she will be wearing my old #32 in the purple and gold.”

Thompson will wear #32, in honor of Johnson, when the Sparks open the 2009 WNBA season on June 6th at the STAPLES Center against the Defending WNBA Champion Detroit Shock at 11:30am. For information on how you can secure your Sparks season tickets call 877-44-SPARKS or visit http://www.lasparks.com.

 

TINA THOMPSON SIGNS WITH THE LA SPARKS

Tina Thompson to play for Sparks
Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
Lisa Leslie, left, and Tina Thompson embrace after the gold-medal triumph in the Athens Olympics.
WNBA’s No. 2 all-time scorer will fill a gap created by Candace Parker’s absence.
By Lisa Dillman
March 12, 2009
Tina Thompson, the WNBA’s second all-time leading scorer behind Lisa Leslie, is coming home to play for the Sparks.

The team is expected to formalize the signing of the free-agent forward with a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Though the move was widely expected, Thompson’s presence will fill the large opening created by the absence of Candace Parker to start the season. Parker is expecting her first child and will miss an undetermined portion of the season.

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Thompson has almost come full circle, as she’ll join forces with her fellow Olympian and former antagonist, Leslie. Thompson followed Leslie to high school at Inglewood Morningside, a freshman during Leslie’s senior season, and again to USC.

And now she will do it again, playing with Leslie in what will be Leslie’s final WNBA season.

Thompson became an unrestricted free agent when the Houston Comets folded. She was a cornerstone of the dynasty there, winning four WNBA titles, playing in seven All-Star games and became only one of three players to score 5,000 points in the league.