The LA Sparks dropped their first two games of the season. But for NBA legend Magic Johnson, who is a part-owner of the franchise, there is no need to hit the panic button yet. Johnson, with his five NBA rings, knows a championship side when he sees one. And for a roster that went through quite a rebuild in the offseason, he expected these growing pains.

Playing against championship-level teams like the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever, the five-time NBA champion believed that the weakness of being a team without complete chemistry was going to be exploited. “We’ve only played against two teams that’s supposed to win the championship,” he said. “They exposed some of our weaknesses in terms of us not really knowing each other.”

It was a tough start for the Sparks schedule-wise. The Aces inflicted a 105-78 loss in their first game of the season. Aces, the defending champions, bounced back after a heavy opening day loss. Chennedy Carter checked in for 22 points, and Chelsea Gray starred with 16 points as they discovered momentum. The Fever, led by Caitlin Clark, edged past them 87-78 as the Sparks suffered straight defeats. Clark set the tone with 24 points and nine assists as the Fever, too, picked up their first win of the season. Clark’s hot streak could easily propel the Fever to the championship as the Aces and New York Liberty remain in the mix.

Johnson pointed out, “We got a lot of new faces, everybody is trying to come together as a unit.” True to his words, the Sparks brought in seven new additions.s. Most notably, veterans like Nneka Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins, and Erica Wheeler are coming in to join Kelsey Plum, who also just came in last season.

Magic Johnson was full of praise for Plum, “She’s an All-Star. One great thing about her is that she’s respected around the league. Players want to play with her, and that’s the key. The key is that we need to get somebody like her, and we can build from there. She can score, she can assist, and she’s a great leader.”

Magic views Nneka Ogwumike with the same optimism. “She wants to retire here. We want her to retire here. And the crowd, everybody in LA loves her. She’s smart and so talented.”

He is confident that the current roster will find success. He said, “I’m happy with the direction of the Sparks. We keep building so we can get back to being a championship organization.”

And of course, the Los Angeles Sparks are currently enduring a five-year playoff drought. This is both the longest postseason absence in franchise history and the longest active playoff drought in the entire WNBA. Magic views this rebuild as foundational, relying on veterans like Kelsey Plum and Nneka Ogwumike, alongside all the other quality changes they’ve made to this team; they can indeed return to being a championship-caliber side.

Interestingly, the Sparks are not the only team with a revamped roster. The likes of Seattle Storm, Chicago Sky, and the Connecticut Sun are in transition seasons. With the addition of expansion teams, the competition is only increasing. Johnson, who has been involved with the franchise since 2014, is excited about the growth of the league.

Magic Johnson Thrilled About WNBA’s Future as He Praises Growth of His Los Angeles Sparks

Thirty years in, the WNBA has come a remarkably long way. The most defining moment of that growth heading into the 2026 season has arguably been the landmark CBA agreement that transformed the league’s financial level almost overnight.

That progress has NBA legend Magic Johnson genuinely thrilled, particularly as he reflects on the role Nneka Ogwumike played in making it happen, what it means for the players, and the future it promises for a league that appears to be hitting its stride. “She did a wonderful job being president of the players’ association. She cut an amazing deal for all these ladies. This league is exploding right now. I can’t wait to see where it’s going to go in the next three, four, or five years,” Magic Johnson said.

Magic Johnson’s excitement isn’t limited to the league in the abstract. As an owner of the Los Angeles Sparks, Johnson has a front-row seat to the transformation, and it’s clearly resonating with him on a personal level. “Well, I’m very happy. You know, when you think about where the Sparks started and where we are today, and the league is today, it’s amazing. And to have a crowd like we have tonight,” he said.

What also moves him beyond the business and the growth is the product itself. That is the quality of competition that the WNBA delivers night after night. “I love it. I have so much fun at the Sparks game, and you know, you’re there and you watch these ladies compete. One thing about the WNBA and the Sparks and all the ladies in this league is they can be hard,” he said.

For a five-time NBA champion who spent his career setting the standard for what elite basketball looks like, that level of admiration for the women’s game speaks for itself. And for the WNBA, having Magic Johnson in its corner as both a believer and an owner is exactly the kind of endorsement that will foster more growth.