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Shams Charania: Four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time champion Kelsey Plum is signing a one-year, $999,999 deal to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, per ESPN sources. Plum was in line for the $1.4 million supermax but opted to sign at discounted rate to give the Sparks financial flexibility to build a title-contending roster.
Chiney Ogwumike: BREAKING: 10x WNBA All-Star and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike intends to re-sign with the Los Angeles Sparks. She previously played 12 seasons in LA and “is looking forward to returning home.”
Bejamin Royer: Division II Cal State LA hires Lakers great Michael Cooper as men’s basketball head coach. Cooper had served as associate head coach since 23’. Cooper has led teams in the WNBA (LA Sparks, Atlanta Dream), women’s college basketball (USC) and in what’s now called the G League.
Fresh off a historic 40-point performance in the finals of the Unrivaled season, WNBA player Kelsey Plum is taking a different shot: an AI twin. Fans can now voice call with a digital version of the Los Angeles Sparks star. Plum announced the twin on her personal Instagram account on March 6, asking her AI self for advice on her ponytail and coffee versus energy drink. Plum is the first professional female athlete to launch a verified AI digital twin. It’s a move that’s earning plaudits as a way for women in sports to take control of their image and expand their reach. “The opportunity to have a twin that can connect with fans, with young people, people that love basketball, people that are just interested in sports. The range is endless,” Plum says. “It’s where we are in society, and I think you are either gonna get with it or get lost.”
Because Plum is one of the first to step into this kind of AI digitization, she admits there might be learning curves with some of the twin’s responses. Those potential distortions are where Ashra hesitates. “I think there is a benefit to interactivity. I think the risks are on unexpected behavior,” he says. “All AI models are nondeterministic. You actually don’t know how they’re going to respond until they’re in that context.” He’s not the only skeptic. Since Plum’s Instagram launch, commenters haven’t been shy about voicing their concerns about this use of AI.
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Sources said Zaidi has also been consulting with the Los Angeles Sparks. Walter and TWG Sports own the WNBA team as well.
Should Walter be approved, it would give him one the most valuable collection of professional sports franchises in the world. He is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who begin the World Series on Friday night in Toronto. Walter also owns the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, the Billie Jean King Cup, the new Cadillac Formula 1 team and the Professional Women's Hockey League. He is a part owner of Chelsea FC of the English Premier League.
The CLA, which stands for Constraints-Led Approach, is a method of learning that has made its way from academia to the mainstream and draws from innovative research in psychology and neuroscience. It replaces traditional block training, where an athlete learns a single movement pattern step-by-step and, instead, places them in game-like situations with special rules that force them to adapt their moves on the fly. It’s founded on the principle that training perfectly yields imperfect results. “It changed my career,” said Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, a four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time champion. “Before, I was very skilled. But I don’t think I was ever very purposeful.” The CLA takes the ground-up process of block training, which washes out the infinite variables that affect athletes in the heat of competition, and flips it on its head.
Alexa Philippou: New: The Los Angeles Sparks have announced plans to build a practice facility in El Segundo scheduled to open in 2027. At $150 million, it represents the largest investment to date for a single team in the history of women’s sports.
New: The Los Angeles Sparks have announced plans to build a practice facility in El Segundo scheduled to open in 2027.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) September 24, 2025
At $150 million, it represents the largest investment to date for a single team in the history of women’s sports.
Renderings via the team: pic.twitter.com/jknWsthw71
Instead, as a national audience tuned into one of the most highly anticipated WNBA All-Star games to date, the players put a spotlight on their behind-the-scenes fight to secure higher salaries and a larger piece of the revenue. "That was a powerful moment," Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said of the crowd's support. "We didn't, at least as players, we didn't know that was going to happen. So, it was a genuine surprise. Those chants tonight, those signs, it just shows that as players, we are united, but the fans are united in believing what we're seeking." "The fans making that chant," Collier added, "that gave me chills."
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Magic Johnson: Candace Parker has left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles Sparks, not only as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, but as a true ambassador of our franchise and women’s basketball as a whole. Beginning with her arrival to the City of Angels in 2008, she not only lived up to the expectations placed on her as a two-time Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year and NCAA National Champion, she far exceeded them. Her unparalleled skill, relentless drive, and leadership elevated the Sparks to new heights and set a new standard of greatness. Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA. Her legacy is immeasurable — she redefined excellence, was a champion on the court and for the Los Angeles community and inspired countless fans and future generations of athletes. Very few champions get to see their jersey hanging from the rafters in this city. Retiring Candace’s No. 3 jersey is not just a celebration of her extraordinary career, but a tribute to the enduring mark she's left on this organization, the WNBA, and the city of Los Angeles. She will forever be a part of the Sparks family.
The Los Angeles Sparks will retire Candace Parker's No. 3 jersey on June 29, the team announced Thursday. She becomes the third player to have her jersey retired by the franchise, joining Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, whose No. 9 jersey was retired in 2010, and former player and general manager Penny Toler, whose No. 11 jersey was retired in 2006. "To see my jersey hanging in the rafters amongst other legends is truly an honor. This moment is not just about me -- it's about my family, my teammates, and the incredible support from the LA Sparks organization and fans," Parker said in a statement. "I'm grateful to my parents, who believed in me every step of the way, to my brothers who still are my heroes and to my wife and kids, who inspire me every day. "
Parker was twice named the WNBA MVP in her 13 seasons with the Sparks. She also led the team to a title in 2016. "Candace Parker has left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles Sparks, not only as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, but as a true ambassador of our franchise and women's basketball as a whole," Sparks co-owner Magic Johnson said in a statement. "Retiring Candace's No. 3 jersey is not just a celebration of her extraordinary career, but a tribute to the enduring mark she's left on this organization, the WNBA, and the city of Los Angeles. She will forever be a part of the Sparks family."