The LA Sparks made a major organizational shift on Friday by firing head coach Lynne Roberts after the franchise missed the postseason for a second consecutive year under her tenure. LA has now failed to reach the playoffs since 2020, leaving the front office in desperate search of a proven leader to rebuild a culture capable of maximizing the talent on the roster.
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With the Sparks officially searching for a new voice to lead the franchise back to relevance, prominent sports media personality and WNBA writer Jemele Hill offered a compelling suggestion for who should take over the job. Hill’s proposal highlights a high-profile candidate who commands immediate respect across the league despite having no prior organizational ties to LA.
Publicly making her pitch on X, Hill proposed former Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon as the ideal candidate to replace Roberts. “The Sparks need to hire Teresa Weatherspoon. Great player. Strong coach. Incredible leader. They need someone who players will trust and respect and will build a winning culture,” Hill wrote.
While Hill’s proposal remains speculative and does not represent an official decision by the Sparks, Weatherspoon’s coaching pedigree makes her a natural name in the search.
Weatherspoon has the resume to lead any team in the WNBA. Before becoming the head coach of Vinyl BC in Unrivaled, she served as head coach of the Chicago Sky during Angel Reese’s rookie season in 2023-24. In 2024, Reese’s late-season injury derailed the Sky’s playoff hopes, leading to Weatherspoon’s firing after just one year.
Weatherspoon’s track record suggests she could restore the Sparks’ winning culture. She possesses coaching experience at every level, having worked in college basketball, the WNBA, and as an assistant coach in the NBA. She also served as a development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans starting in 2019 before earning a promotion to assistant coach. Weatherspoon commands deep respect across the league, a credential Hill emphasized in her endorsement.
The Sparks’ decision to fire Roberts was first reported by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, with the organization subsequently confirming the dismissal in an official release.
“We are grateful to Lynne for the commitment and determination she brought to the role, which was evident all the way through our last game last night,” said Sparks Special Advisor Farhan Zaidi in a press release.
“Lynne has cared deeply about our organization and for our players and their development. We sincerely thank her for everything she has invested in the Sparks and wish her and her family the best moving forward.”
The Sparks have not made the playoffs since 2020, when they were eliminated by the Connecticut Sun in the second round. Despite high expectations this past season with Kelsey Plum on the roster and Cameron Brink returning from a torn ACL, the Sparks won only 16 of 44 games, and Plum eventually departed for the Phoenix Mercury.
According to Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic, Roberts had signed a four-year deal with the Sparks, and the team will owe her base salary moving forward. “Roberts had just finished the second of a four-year deal with a team option in Year 5… The deal was not fully guaranteed. Because Roberts was fired without cause, the Sparks will owe her the lesser of a year or the remainder of her base salary. Roberts was set to make $950,000 in Year 3 and $975,000 in Year 4, which means the Sparks will owe her $950,000,” Merchant wrote.
Roberts was selected to lead the Sparks after a 10-year coaching stint at the University of Utah. In her first year, the offense-minded coach led her team to a historic offensive season, though LA still became the highest-scoring team in league history to miss the postseason.
However, she couldn’t find her footing in her second year. Her departure appeared inevitable when the Sparks fired general manager Raegan Pebley and replaced her with Ariana Andonian to signal a fresh direction.
The responsibility of hiring a new coach now falls on GM Ariana Andonian, who previously served as general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers.
What do you think? Should the Sparks hire Teresa Weatherspoon as their next head coach? Let us know in the comments.