2022 Los Angeles Sparks season explained

The 2022 WNBA season was the 26th season for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season tipped off on May 6, 2022, versus the Chicago Sky.^[1]

The Sparks started the season well with road wins over Chicago and Indiana, but could not hold onto that momentum as they lost the next five games in a row. They broke the streak by winning three of their next four games to finish May 5–6. They would open June with a loss and on June 7, 2022, the Sparks and head coach Derek Fisher parted ways after starting the season 5–7, and Fred Williams was named the interim head coach.^[2] Williams' tenure started with back to back losses, but the Sparks won two of their last four games in June to finish the month 2–5. The team won its first three games in July before losing their next three. Two wins were followed by three losses to finish July 5–6. The team began August in the playoff hunt, but three straight losses extended their losing streak to six total and dashed their playoff hopes. A win at Washington would be the Sparks' only win in August as they finished the season with three straight home losses. They finished the month 1–6 and the season 13–23.

Transactions

WNBA draft

See also: 2022 WNBA draft.

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	School/team/country
1	9	Rae Burrell		Tennessee
2	16	Kianna Smith		Louisville
2	19	Olivia Nelson-Ododa		UConn
3	27	Amy Atwell		Hawaii

Trades and Roster Changes

Date	Transaction
December 31, 2021	Renounced the rights to Marianna Tolo and Aina Ayuso ^[3]
January 1, 2022	Extended Qualifying Offers to Te'a Cooper and Lauren Cox^[4]
January 4, 2022	Signed Lauren Cox to a Qualifying Offer^[5]
January 20, 2022	Signed Te'a Cooper to a Qualifying Offer^[6]
February 3, 2022	Traded Gabby Williams to Seattle in exchange for Katie Lou Samuelson and the 9th pick in the 2022 WNBA draft.^[7]
February 5, 2022	Traded Erica Wheeler, a 2023 First-Round Pick, and 2022 Second-Round Pick to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Chennedy Carter and the rights to Li Yueru^[8]
February 8, 2022	Signed Jordin Canada to a One-Year Deal^[9]
February 18, 2022	Signed Liz Cambage^[10]
March 30, 2022	Trade the rights to Li Yueru to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Lexie Brown^[11]
April 15, 2022	Signed Chantel Horvat and Lexi Gordan to training-camp contracts^[12]
April 16, 2022	Signed Rae Burrell, Kianna Smith, and Amy Atwell to rookie-scale contracts
April 17, 2022	Signed Olivia Nelson-Ododa to a rookie-scale contract
April 29, 2022	Waived Lauren Cox, Chantel Horvat, and Lexi Gordan^[13]
May 4, 2022	Waived Te'a Cooper, Arella Guirantes, and Kianna Smith^[14]
May 5, 2022	Temporarily Suspend Kristi Toliver and Katie Lou Samuelson due to NBA and Overseas Commitments
	Full Season suspension of the contract of Amanda Zahui B
May 11, 2022	Exercised the 4th Year Team Option on Chennedy Carter
May 16, 2022	Signed Katie Lou Samuelson to a One Year Extension^[15]
May 17, 2022	Activated Katie Lou Samuelson from her Temporary Suspension^[16]
June 7, 2022	Fired Head coach/GM Derek Fisher and named Fred Williams as Interim Head coach^[17]
	Waived Amy Atwell^[18]
June 9, 2022	Activated Kristi Toliver from her Temporary Suspension
July 4, 2022	Signed Kianna Smith to a 7-Day Hardship Contract^[19]
July 26, 2022	Waived Liz Cambage^[20]
	Signed Kianna Smith to a 2nd 7-day contract^[21]
August 2, 2022	Signed Kianna Smith^[22]

Roster

Depth

Pos.	Starter	Bench
	C	Chiney Ogwumike	Olivia Nelson-Ododa
	PF	Nneka Ogwumike	Jasmine Walker
	SF	Katie Lou Samuelson	Rae Burrell
	SG	Brittney Sykes	Lexie Brown Kianna Smith
	PG	Kristi Toliver	Jordin Canada Chennedy Carter

Schedule

Preseason

|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| April 23| @ Seattle| L 68–81| Olivia Nelson-Ododa (15)| Olivia Nelson-Ododa (12)| Olivia Nelson-Ododa (5)| Climate Pledge Arena
5,734| 0–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| April 30| Phoenix| W 87-84| Amy Atwell (19)| Olivia Nelson-Ododa (6)| Jordin Canada (3)| Matadome
N/A| 1-1

Regular season

|- style="background:#cfc;"| 1| May 6| @ Chicago| W 98–91 (OT)| Jordin Canada (21)| Nneka Ogwumike (7)| Jordin Canada (8)| Wintrust Arena
8,111| 1–0|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| May 8| @ Indiana| W 88–78| Liz Cambage (22)| Liz Cambage (11)| Jordin Canada (6)| Gainbridge Fieldhouse
1,456| 2–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 3| May 11| @ Atlanta| L 75–77| Jordin Canada (19)| Nneka Ogwumike (15)| Nneka Ogwumike (4)| Gateway Center Arena
3,138| 2–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 4| May 14| @ Connecticut| L 60–77| Canada
N. Ogwumike (12)| Cambage
Walker (4)| Brittney Sykes (4)| Mohegan Sun Arena
5,624| 2–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 5| May 17| Minnesota| L 84–87| Nneka Ogwumike (22)| Nneka Ogwumike (8)| Jordin Canada (6)| Crypto.com Arena
4,701| 2–3|- style="background:#fcc;"| 6| May 20| @ Seattle| L 80–83| Liz Cambage (25)| Liz Cambage (8)| Lexie Brown (5)| Climate Pledge Arena
10,103| 2–4|- style="background:#fcc;"| 7| May 23| @ Las Vegas| L 76–104| Chennedy Carter (17)| Nneka Ogwumike (6)| Jordin Canada (9)| Michelob Ultra Arena
4,092| 2–5|- style="background:#cfc;"| 8| May 25| Phoenix| W 99–94| Nneka Ogwumike (23)| Liz Cambage (7)| Jordin Canada (6)| Crypto.com Arena
4,020| 3–5|- style="background:#fcc;"| 9| May 27| @ Indiana| L 96–101| Nneka Ogwumike (30)| Nneka Ogwumike (10)| Canada
Carter
Sykes (5)| Indiana Farmers Coliseum
1,417| 3–6|- style="background:#cfc;"| 10| May 29| @ Minnesota| W 85–83| Chennedy Carter (20)| Chennedy Carter (6)| Carter
Sykes (4)| Target Center
7,234| 4–6|- style="background:#cfc;"| 11| May 31| Dallas| W 93–91| Brittney Sykes (25)| Nneka Ogwumike (10)| Cambage
Sykes (4)| Crypto.com Arena
4,852| 5–6|-|- style="background:#fcc;"| 12| June 5| @ Phoenix| L 74–81| Nneka Ogwumike (19)| Nneka Ogwumike (7)| Canada
Samuelson (4)| Footprint Center
10,151| 5–7|- style="background:#fcc;"| 13| June 11| Las Vegas| L 72–89| Nneka Ogwumike (16)| Nneka Ogwumike (9)| Jordin Canada (8)| Crypto.com Arena
8,200| 5–8|- style="background:#fcc;"| 14| June 19| @ Dallas| L 82–92| Nneka Ogwumike (17)| C. Ogwumike
N. Ogwumike (10)| Liz Cambage (5)| College Park Center
3,779| 5–9|- style="background:#cfc;"| 15| June 21| Washington| W 84–82| Nneka Ogwumike (21)| Chiney Ogwumike (9)| Kristi Toliver (5)| Crypto.com Arena
3,745| 6–9|- style="background:#fcc;"| 16| June 23| Chicago| L 59–82| Nneka Ogwumike (15)| Olivia Nelson-Ododa (6)| Kristi Toliver (6)| Crypto.com Arena
5,627| 6–10|- style="background:#cfc;"| 17| June 25| @ Seattle| W 85–77| Nneka Ogwumike (24)| Cambage
Nelson-Ododa (8)| Brittney Sykes (8)| Climate Pledge Arena
9,955| 7–10|- style="background:#fcc;"| 18| June 27| Las Vegas| L 73–79| Nneka Ogwumike (18)| Cambage
N. Ogwumike (11)| Brittney Sykes (7)| Crypto.com Arena
4,200| 7–11|-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 19| July 1| @ Dallas| W 97–89| Cambage
N. Ogwumike (22)| Liz Cambage (11)| Kristi Toliver (7)| College Park Center
3,187| 8–11|- style="background:#cfc;"| 20| July 3| New York| W 84–74| Nneka Ogwumike (22)| Chiney Ogwumike (10)| Jordin Canada (7)| Crypto.com Arena
5,436| 9–11|- style="background:#cfc;"| 21| July 4| Phoenix| W 78–75| Nneka Ogwumike (23)| Nneka Ogwumike (9)| Jordin Canada (5)| Crypto.com Arena
3,340| 10–11|- style="background:#fcc;"| 22| July 7| Seattle| L 69–106| Lexie Brown (16)| Cambage
Nelson-Ododa
N. Ogwumike
Walker (4)| Jordin Canada (6)| Crypto.com Arena
6,389| 10–12|- style="background:#fcc;"| 23| July 12| Washington| L 81–94| Samuelson
Sykes (16)| Chiney Ogwumike (10)| Canada
Cambage (3)| Crypto.com Arena
5,004| 10–13|- style="background:#fcc;"| 24| July 14| Chicago| L 68–80| Nneka Ogwumike (16)| Chiney Ogwumike (13)| Jordin Canada (8)| Crypto.com Arena
5,856| 10–14|- style="background:#cfc;"| 25| July 19| Indiana| W 86–79| Nneka Ogwumike (35)| Chiney Ogwumike (10)| Jordin Canada (8)| Crypto.com Arena
5,478| 11–14|- style="background:#cfc"| 26| July 21| Atlanta| W 85–78| Nneka Ogwumike (20)| Chiney Ogwumike (7)| Jordin Canada (6)| Crypto.com Arena
10,021| 12–14|- style="background:#fcc"| 27| July 23| @ Las Vegas| L 66–84| Chennedy Carter (15)| Jordin Canada (7)| Canada
Samuelson (3)| Michelob Ultra Arena
7,522| 12–15|- style="background:#fcc"| 28| July 28| @ Phoenix| L 80–90| Chennedy Carter (23)| Nneka Ogwumike (11)| Nneka Ogwumike (5)| Footprint Center
8,124| 12–16|- style="background:#fcc"| 29| July 31| Minnesota| L 77–84| Nneka Ogwumike (23)| Chiney Ogwumike (6)| Jordin Canada (6)| Crypto.com Arena
6,857| 12–17|-|- style="background:#fcc"| 30| August 2| @ New York| L 73–102| Brittney Sykes (19)| Brittney Sykes (6)| Jordin Canada (4)| Barclays Center
4,891| 12–18|- style="background:#fcc"| 31| August 3| @ New York| L 61–64| Nneka Ogwumike (19)| Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10)| Jordin Canada (8)| Barclays Center
5,315| 12–19|- style="background:#fcc"| 32| August 5| @ Atlanta| L 86–88| Brittney Sykes (23)| Brittney Sykes (7)| Jordin Canada (8)| Gateway Center Arena
3,138| 12–20|- style="background:#cfc"| 33| August 7| @ Washington| W 79–76| Brittney Sykes (21)| N. Ogwumike
Sykes (6)| Jordin Canada (12)| Entertainment and Sports Arena
4,200| 13–20|- style="background:#fcc"| 34| August 9| Connecticut| L 71–97| Brittney Sykes (18)| Brittney Sykes (7)| Jordin Canada (6)| Crypto.com Arena
5,789| 13–21|- style="background:#fcc"| 35| August 11| Connecticut| L 69–93| Brittney Sykes (18)| Nneka Ogwumike (9)| Jordin Canada (5)| Crypto.com Arena
4,987| 13–22|- style="background:#fcc"| 36| August 14| Dallas| L 88–116| Brittney Sykes (35)| Jasmine Walker (6)| Canada
Sykes (5)| Crypto.com Arena
7,245| 13–23|-

Statistics

Regular Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Nneka Ogwumike	34	34	31.4	.544	.368	.826	6.6	2.0	1.6	0.4	18.1
Liz Cambage^‡	25	24	23.4	.509	.286	.784	6.4	2.1	0.6	1.6	13.0
Brittney Sykes	32	24	28.8	.433	.269	.770	3.7	3.7	2.0	0.7	12.7
Katie Lou Samuelson	32	29	29.5	.373	.352	.837	3.0	1.9	1.0	0.2	9.7
Jordin Canada	32	25	27.0	.384	.140	.806	2.3	5.5	1.4	0.2	9.2
Chennedy Carter	24	2	16.4	.450	.200	.745	1.9	1.9	0.6	0.4	8.9
Lexie Brown	34	16	25.0	.441	.398	.667	2.3	2.1	1.0	0.2	7.1
Chiney Ogwumike	26	7	18.4	.466	.444	.706	5.5	1.1	0.8	0.3	7.0
Kristi Toliver	11	10	19.8	.373	.361	.875	0.8	3.1	0.4	0.0	4.0
Olivia Nelson-Ododa	30	6	14.5	.566	.000	.703	2.9	0.4	0.3	0.8	4.0
Kianna Smith^≠	11	0	10.3	.314	.278	1.000	0.8	0.5	0.4	0.0	2.6
Rae Burrell	3	1	14.7	.111	.167	1.000	1.0	0.3	0.7	0.0	1.7
Jasmine Walker	32	1	8.8	.250	.200	1.000	1.5	0.2	0.2	0.1	1.6
Amy Atwell^‡	4	1	8.0	.111	.167	.000	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.8

^‡Waived/Released during the season
^†Traded during the season
^≠Acquired during the season

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award	Date awarded	Ref.
Nneka Ogwumike	WNBA All-Star Starter	June 22	^[23]
	Western Conference Player of the Week	June 27	^[24]
	All-WNBA Second Team	September 15	^[25]
Brittney Sykes	All-Defensive Second Team	August 30	^[26]

External links

• • Los Angeles Sparks at ESPN.com

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2022 Los Angeles Sparks Schedule. sparks.wnba.com. WNBA. January 1, 2022.
2. Web site: Jennings . Chantel . Sparks parting ways with coach Derek Fisher: Source . theathletic.com . The Athletic . 7 June 2022.
3. Web site: WNBA Transctions – Player Movement . acrossthetimeline.com . Across the Timeline . January 1, 2022.
4. Web site: Rachel Galligan Tweet . twitter.com . Rachel Galligan . January 1, 2022.
5. Web site: Sparks Re-Sign Lauren Cox. sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . January 4, 2022.
6. Web site: Sparks Re-Sign Te'a Cooper. sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . January 20, 2022.
7. Web site: Storm & Sparks Complete Trade. wnba.com . WNBA . February 3, 2022. February 4, 2022.
8. Web site: Dream Acquire Erica Wheeler, 2023 First Round Pick and 2022 Second Round Pick in Trade with Sparks . dream.wnba.com . WNBA . February 10, 2022.
9. Web site: Sparks Sign WNBA Champion Jordin Canada . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . February 10, 2022.
10. Web site: Sparks Sign WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . February 19, 2022.
11. Web site: Sparks Acquire WNBA Champion Lexie Brown . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . April 6, 2022.
12. Web site: Sparks Announce 2022 Training Camp Roster . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . April 16, 2022.
13. Web site: NEWS: The @LASparks waived Lauren Cox, Chantel Horvat, and Lexi Gordon today. . twitter.com . Twitter . May 2, 2022.
14. Web site: Sparks Waive Three Players . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . May 4, 2022.
15. Web site: LA Sparks Announce Contract Extension For Katie Lou Samuelson . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . May 16, 2022.
16. Web site: NEWS: Katie Lou Samuelson has returned from overseas play. Her status has changed from partial season suspension to active ahead of tonight's game against the Minnesota Lynx. . twitter.com . Twitter . May 24, 2022.
17. Web site: LA Sparks Part Ways with General Manager/Head coach Derek Fisher . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . June 7, 2022.
18. Web site: More news today out of Los Angeles as the Sparks have waived Amy Atwell @Winsidr . twitter.com . Twitter . June 7, 2022.
19. Web site: Los Angeles Sparks Sign Kianna Smith to 7-day contract . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . July 5, 2022.
20. Web site: Los Angeles Sparks Agree to Contract Divorce with Liz Cambage . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . July 26, 2022.
21. Web site: Los Angeles Sparks Re-Sign Kianna Smith to 7-day contract . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . July 27, 2022.
22. Web site: Los Angeles Sparks Sign Kianna Smith to Rest of Season Contract . sparks.wnba.com . WNBA . August 4, 2022.
23. Web site: AT&T WNBA All-Star Starters Announced With Seattle Storm's Sue Bird Extending Record-Number of All-Star Selections to 13 . wnba.com . WNBA . June 22, 2022.
24. WNBA. June 27, 2022. 1541482243310370816. .@nnekaogwumike & @Sloot22 are your WNBA Players of the Week .
25. Kia WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson Leads 2022 All-WNBA First Team . WNBA . September 15, 2022 . September 17, 2022.
26. WNBA. August 30, 2022. 1564647736825155585. Your 2022 #WNBA All-Defensive Second Team ⬇️ @athomas_25 @ezimagbegor @jus242 @BrittBundlez @gabbywilliams15 #MoreThan.