With one week left before their season opening game against the Dallas Wings, the Los Angeles Sparks unveiled their redesigned home court which features their new logo. The Sparks are changing up their look to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the WNBA.
The WNBA is the longest running women’s pro sports league; the Sparks is one of the three last original WNBA teams along with the New York Liberty and the Phoenix Mercury. As the Sparks continue to thrive, the franchise made sure to honor their history, even in the design of the court.
“We wanted to keep some of the original colors in it, so that’s why you see the hint of teal that’s on the court,” said Sparks president and COO Natalie White.
The Sparks are not allowing fans for their season opener but will allow them for their second home game on Thursday, June 3 against the Indiana Fever. Due to COVID protocols, the seats for fans are limited.
“Our season ticket holders only, they get a chance to come out,” White said. “We’re looking forward to opening up as things with L.A. County open up within the city for us to allow more capacity for our fans.”
The L.A. Sparks have a 32-game season, with 16 home and 16 away games. They will play their first 11 games in the West Exhibit Hall in the L.A. Convention Center. They will return to the Staples Center after the Olympic break to play their last six home games.
The theme of the Sparks this season is #RootedInLA.
“We have a lot in store for our fans to be a part of,” White said. “When we get a chance to do live events, we have a lot of players coming back, so we have a lot of surprises this year to celebrate our 25th anniversary.”
The franchise recently launched “Rooted In LA -The Show” Presented by Vizzy Hard Seltzer. In their first episode, they interviewed Sparks legends Ebony Hoffman and Delisha “D-Nasty” Milton-Jones.
“We have a lot of inaugural fans that are still with us,” White said. “So it’s an opportunity for those who remember those players and also show our new fans that we still stay in touch with them.”
White is going into her 13th season working in the WNBA and feels that the league has made tremendous strides.
“You have a lot of passionate people like myself trying to do whatever we can to keep the momentum going,” she said. “I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
