The same day as the The Sparks of Los Angeles will present their new head coach Lynne Robertsthe franchise has set in motion another pillar of its future. The Sparks announced Thursday that they have partnered with Transwestern Real Estate Services to begin the process of building a practice facility.
Transwestern works with teams and leagues to acquire land and properties and provide brokerage services. The company has participated in recent projects with the Phoenix Mercury and Elite overtime.
“We are building more than a practice facility; we are investing in the future of women’s basketball in Los Angeles,” Sparks Governor Eric Holoman said in a statement. “This facility is part of a larger vision to elevate the LA Sparks to the premier franchise in the WNBA and create an environment in which our players have all the resources they need to achieve greatness. Los Angeles is a city of champions and we are determined to carry that winning legacy to the Sparks.
For the past two seasons, Los Angeles has trained at El Camino College, a community college in Torrance, California. The Sparks shared space with the school’s students, limiting their access to the building and forcing players to look elsewhere for practice beyond those. hours.
The lack of dedicated facilities was once a common experience for WNBA players across the league; however, the recent arms race has led most teams to build their own facilities. A divide has emerged in free agency between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” as players target franchises with better amenities.
Seattle and Phoenix have opened new practice spaces in 2024, while Dallas and Chicago are set to open theirs in 2026. Additionally, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has required expansion teams to have facilities when submitting offers. Los Angeles is just following suit, like Atlanta And Connecticut are the only other teams out of 13 not to have their own training center or plans to build one.
For now, the Sparks will still be in the “have-nots” camp, as the team has not specified a site for the facility or a timeline for its construction; players will spend the 2025 season in a shared space.
However, Los Angeles’ group of six owners includes five owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who opened their wallets to attract stars and create a world-class organization. They have the resources to transform their WNBA operations in a similar way, and enlisting Transwestern’s services is the first step in leveling the Sparks with the rest of the league.
This article was originally published in Athletics.
Los Angeles Sparks, WNBA, Top Sports News
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