THE The Sparks of Los Angeles have a new head coach.
The sparks appointed Utah women’s basketball coach Lynne Roberts will be their next head coach, succeeding Curt Miller, who parted ways with the franchise in September after leading Los Angeles to a 25–55 record in two seasons.
“I am honored to be named the next head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks,” Roberts said in a statement Tuesday. “The Sparks have a talented team with tremendous potential, and we will compete relentlessly for WNBA championships. I believe Los Angeles should be the WNBA’s premier market, and I look forward to working with our players and front office to make that happen.
Roberts, a Redding native and Enterprise High School graduate, has a decades-long resume as a collegiate women’s basketball head coach. She spent the last nine seasons at the helm of the Utah basketball program and led the Utes to three straight NCAA Tournament berths, including an appearance in the Sweet 16 in 2023, when she was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Roberts also served as head coach at Chico State (2002-06) and Pacific (2006-15), with a total collegiate head coaching record of 383-290.
“Lynne is an exceptional coach and leader,” Sparks Governor and Managing Partner Eric Holoman said in a statement. “We are excited to bring his decades of winning coaching experience to our organization. Through our extensive international search, Lynne’s modern outlook on basketball, communication skills and ability to build relationships made her the right choice for this position.
The Sparks are counting on Roberts to guide the team to the playoffs. Los Angeles last won a WNBA championship in 2016 and has missed the playoffs the past three seasons with a dismal 38-78 record.
The Sparks have the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Los Angeles previously drafted Cameron Brink (Stanford) and WNBA All-Rookie Rickea Jackson (Tennessee) with the No. 2 and No. 4 picks in the 2024 WNBA Draftrespectively. Brink suffered a torn ACL in June, but is expected to return for the 2025 WNBA season.
The USA TODAY app quickly immerses you in the heart of the news. Download for award-winning cover art, crossword puzzles, audio narrations, e-journal and much more..
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Los Angeles Sparks name Utah’s Lynne Roberts as new head coach
