2008 Los Angeles Sparks season
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Los Angeles Sparks season was the 12th season for the Los Angeles Sparks
. The Sparks returned to the postseason for the first time since 2006.
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
. The Sparks returned to the postseason for the first time since 2006.
Offseason
The following player was selected in the Expansion Draft:- LaToya Thomas Los Angeles Sparks
WNBA Draft
- On October 23, 2007. The WNBA draft lottery was held. The Los Angeles Sparks received the first pick for the upcoming 2008 WNBA Draft.
| Pick | Player | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Candace Parker Candace Parker Candace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008... |
Tennessee Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition... |
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| 15 | Shannon Bobbitt Shannon Bobbitt Shannon Denise Bobbitt is an American professional basketball player for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. One of eight children and a native of the Bronx, New York Bobbitt honed her basketball skills on the neighborhood project courts of Harlem... |
Tennessee Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition... |
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| 29 | Sharnee’ Zoll | Virginia Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
|
Transactions
- April 24, The Sparks waived DeTrina White.
- April 23 The Sparks waived Layla Schwarz.
- April 22, The Sparks traded Taj McWilliams-Franklin and a first-round pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft to the Washington MysticsWashington MysticsThe Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
for DeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-Jones is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association . Milton-Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida. In her twelve-season WNBA career, she has played for the Washington Mystics and Los...
. - April 21 The Sparks signed Tiina Sten to a training camp contract.
- April 17 The Sparks signed Vaida SipaviciuteVaida SipavičiūtėVaida Sipavičiūtė is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. She plays for Club Atletico Faenza and Lithuania women's national basketball team. She has represented national team in EuroBasket Women 2011 competition...
to a training camp contract. - April 15 The Sparks signed Lady Comfort to a training camp contract.
- April 2 The Sparks signed Olympia ScottOlympia ScottOlympia Scott, formerly known under her married name of Olympia Scott-Richardson, is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA a former college coach and the co-founder, President & CEO of Super Parenting LLC and A Wonderful Life! Coaching....
to a training camp contract. - March 6, The Sparks signed Liron Cohen and Brisa Silva to training camp contracts.
- February 22 The Sparks signed free agent Marie Ferdinand-Harris.
- February 21 The Sparks signed Jessica MooreJessica Moore (basketball)Jessica Moore is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently playing for the Connecticut Sun. Jessica was a Center for the UConn Huskies from 2000–2005.-High school:...
and Raffaella Masciadri to training camp contracts.
Preseason
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3 | @ Atlanta | 86-80 | Win | 1-0 |
| May 8 | @ Chicago | 84-68 | Win | 2-0 |
| May 11 | @ Minnesota | 106-105 (2OT) | Win | 3-0 |
Candace Parker
- Candace Parker scored 34 points, and set a league record for the most points in a WNBA debut. Parker added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 on Saturday 17. Parker, narrowly missed a triple-double with 12 rebounds and eight assists. The previous high in a WNBA debut was 25 points by Cynthia Cooper in 1997.
- On May 29 against the Indiana Fever, Parker tallied the first-ever "5x5" performance in WNBA history, posting 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocked shots, five assists and five steals. Parker had a career-best 40-point performance on July 9 against the Houston Comets.
- On June 22, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks finished a breakaway late in a game against the Indiana Fever with a one handed slam. This marked just the second time that a player in the history of the WNBA had a slam dunk.
Malice at the Palace
- The Sparks-Shock brawl (also known as The Malice at the Palace II) was an altercation that occurred in a game between the Detroit ShockDetroit ShockThe Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
and Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles SparksThe Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
on July 21, 2008 at The Palace of Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
. With 4.2 seconds before the game was officially over, the fighting began on the courtBasketball courtIn basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
after Plenette PiersonPlenette PiersonPlenette Pierson is a professional WNBA player for the New York Liberty. In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year Award given in the WNBA.-College:...
made a hard block out after a free throwFree throwIn basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
on Candace ParkerCandace ParkerCandace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
. This was the second brawl to occur at the Palace, the other being the Pacers–Pistons brawl.
Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17 | @ Phoenix | 99-94 | Win | 1-0 |
| May 25 | @ Atlanta | 74-56 | Win | 2-0 |
| May 29 | @ Indiana | 78-82 (2OT) | Loss | 2-1 |
| May 31 | @ Washington | 70-59 | Win | 3-1 |
| June 3 | @ Chicago | 81-77 (OT) | Win | 4-1 |
| June 6 | vs. Phoenix | 79-85 | Loss | 4-2 |
| June 11 | vs. Detroit | 80-73 | Win | 5-2 |
| June 13 | vs. Connecticut | 98-93 (OT) | Win | 6-2 |
| June 14 | @ Sacramento | 74-66 | Win | 7-2 |
| June 18 | vs. Chicago | 80-67 | Win | 8-2 |
| June 20 | @ San Antonio | 75-77 | Loss | 8-3 |
| June 22 | vs. Indiana | 77-63 | Win | 9-3 |
| June 24 | vs. Seattle | 76-62 | Win | 10-3 |
| June 26 | vs. Washington | 74-77 (OT) | Loss | 10-4 |
| July 1 | vs. New York | 78-89 | Loss | 10-5 |
| July 3 | vs. Minnesota | 70-88 | Loss | 10-6 |
| July 6 | vs. Phoenix | 91-80 | Win | 11-6 |
| July 9 | vs. Houston | 82-74(OT) | Win | 12-6 |
| July 10 | @ Sacramento | 69-87 | Loss | 12-7 |
| July 12 | @ Seattle | 52-70 | Loss | 12-8 |
| July 14 | vs. San Antonio | 75-62 | Win | 13-8 |
| July 17 | @ Phoenix | 92-99 | Loss | 13-9 |
| July 19 | @ Houston | 72-75(OT) | Loss | 13-10 |
| July 22 | @ Detroit | 84-81 | Win | 14-10 |
| July 24 | @ Connecticut | 61-87 | Loss | 14-11 |
| July 25 | @ New York | 68-69 | Loss | 14-12 |
| July 27 | @ Minnesota | 92-84(OT) | Win | 15-12 |
| August 28 | vs. Sacramento | 78-63 | Win | 16-12 |
| August 30 | vs. San Antonio | 58-53 | Win | 17-12 |
| September 1 | vs. Minnesota | 82-58 | Win | 18-12 |
| September 5 | @ San Antonio | 58-76 | Loss | 18-13 |
| September 6 | @ Houston | 84-66 | Win | 19-13 |
| September 11 | vs. Atlanta | 72-83 | Loss | 19-14 |
| September 14 | vs. Seattle | 65-48 | Win | 20-14 |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average| Player | GP | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Bobbitt | |||||||
| Lisa Leslie | 33 | 32.1 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 15.1 |
| Marie Ferdinand-Harris | 33 | 20.6 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 8.4 |
| DeLisha Milton-Jones | 7 | 230 | 50 | 15 | 7 | 5 | |
| Raffaella Masciardi | 5 | 102 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | |
| Muriel Page | |||||||
| Candace Parker | 33 | 33.6 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 18.5 |
| Sidney Spencer | 33 | 13.7 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
Roster
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Conference Semi | September 19 | vs. Seattle | 77-69 | Win | 1-0 |
| September 21 | @ Seattle | 50-64 | Loss | 1-1 | |
| September 23 | @ Seattle | 71-64 | Win | 2-1 | |
| Western Conference Final | September 25 | vs. San Antonio | 85-70 | Win | 1-0 (3-1) |
| September 27 | @ San Antonio | 66-67 | Loss | 1-1 (3-2) | |
| September 28 | @ San Antonio | 72-76 | Loss | 1-2 (3-3) | |
Awards and honors
- Lisa LeslieLisa LeslieLisa Deshaun Leslie-Lockwood is a former American professional women's basketball player in the WNBA. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner...
, All WNBA First Team - Lisa Leslie, Led WNBA, Blocks (2.9 per game)
- Lisa Leslie, All-WNBA Defensive First Team
- Candace ParkerCandace ParkerCandace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
, WNBA Rookie of the Year - Candace Parker, WNBA MVP
- Candace Parker, Forward, All-WNBA Rookie Team
- Candace Parker, Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Month award in May (For the month of May, she averaged 19.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in four games)
- Candace Parker, Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Month award in July (In the 12 games played in July she averaged 20.8 points, 9.5 rebounds per game and collected eight double-doubles)
- Candace Parker, Led WNBA in double-doubles (17)
- Candace Parker, Led WNBA Rookies, Points per game (18.5)
- Candace Parker, Led WNBA Rookies, Blocks per game (2.3)
- Candace Parker, Led WNBA Rookies, Minutes per game (33.6)
- Candace Parker, Led WNBA, Rebounds per game (9.5)