With Sparks struggling, LA looks to the future: 'We're building something special'

Curt Miller could have spent his entire WNBA coaching career in Connecticut. He led the Sun for seven seasons, and from 2017 to 2022, no team won more regular-season games. The Sun also went to the WNBA Finals twice. He created a winning culture within the small-market team, and still praises team president Jennifer Rizzotti.

But something about LA intrigued Miller. So, in 2023, he traded the East Coast for the West Coast. He also traded a winning team for a losing one.

That was part of the appeal.

“I felt passionate about needing a change personally,” he said. “And I love to build. So now, I’m in build mode.”

LA is a historic franchise with all the infrastructure needed to win championships. But it’s been a while since the Sparks hoisted a trophy, let alone played for one. The Sparks won their last title in 2016 with Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray all on the roster. Since then, the team has been on the decline, and in the two seasons before Miller took over, LA went 25-43 and did not make the playoffs.

The Sparks saw slight improvement last season with Miller at the helm, despite still not earning a playoff berth, going 17-23. This season, things have taken a turn for the worse, and LA is 6-22 (tied for the worst record in the league) with just under a month left in the regular season.

Miller is finding it hard to build the team he’s envisioned, mostly because of all the pieces that are missing. During his two seasons as head coach, LA has not had a complete roster. Last year, Dearica Hamby was coming back from giving birth, and coming off a traumatic experience with the Aces, in which she says she was wrongly traded due to being pregnant. Lexie Brown started the season on a tear, scoring a career-high 12.1 points per game and shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc. But her season was cut short after 12 games, when Brown began her ongoing battle with Crohn's disease.

It’s been more of the same this season, with even more players missing time. Brown is out once again; Azura Stevens, who was a marquee free agent signee in 2023, made her debut in July after missing most of the season with an arm injury; and No. 2 draft pick Cameron Brink tore her ACL in June. Other players, including Aari McDonald and Layshia Clarendon, have also missed time.

Despite the struggles, Miller says his team has taken on what he calls a “growth mindset.” The Sparks continue to look forward and are working with what they have.

“What we’ve been through adversity-wise these first two seasons, just to see the positivity still around and not be beaten down from it, and trying to have the mindset of the unintended consequence,” Miller said. “You know, through our injuries, other players are going to have great opportunities to carve their own niche out.”

One of those players is Rickea Jackson, LA’s No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft. Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago’s Angel Reese have dominated the rookie conversations, but Jackson has quietly put together an impressive debut season. She’s averaging 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, while demonstrating her ability to score at will from almost anywhere on the court.

Jackson, Miller says, is a key piece to what he is trying to build.

“She has the unique ability to put the ball in the basket,” Miller said. “She has a real gift at the offensive end. I think you can see that she has a chance to be a really special player in this league. We talk about two rookies, and rightfully so, but Rickea is going to be a star for a long time.”

With the injury to Brink, Li Yueru has also emerged as a role player with potential for the Sparks. The 6-7 post player has polished footwork around the rim, and with increased court time in her second WNBA season, Yueru looks like someone who could have a long career in the league.

With Stevens finally healthy and working back into game shape, the Sparks have a chance to see what the future might hold. In just eight games, Stevens is averaging 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 42% from long range.

“I think I'm getting more and more comfortable,” Stevens said. “I think it was like good momentum when I first came back, and then we had the break. So I'm still sort of working through just getting back into the flow of games. My arm is fully healed, but it's still an adjustment just dealing with the physicality, because one side of it is a little more tender than the other.”

Stevens signed a one-year contract extension with the Sparks on Thursday, and despite the team’s struggles, she believes in Miller’s vision.

“I know our record is not really reflective of how we want it to be, but we're building something special here, so it's really awesome to be a part of it,” she said.

Stevens is working alongside Hamby, who has proved herself a star in the league, after years of being a sixth player in Las Vegas. She’s currently 10th in the WNBA in points per game with 18.

Miller is relying on Hamby and LA’s other experienced players, like six-year veteran Kia Nurse, to set an example for the rest of the young roster.

Especially as the team continues to rack up losses.

They are on a five-game losing streak that dates back to before the Olympic break. The stretch included double-digit losses to New York and Las Vegas, and close calls against Chicago, Seattle and Connecticut.

But Miller still believes good things are coming, even if they take a bit longer than expected to develop. The Sparks also currently have the highest odds to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, which includes UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

“There's no moral victories, so as the losses accumulate, it's hard on all of us,” he said. “But I can tell you — honestly, not coach talk — I'm really impressed with how they're able to stay focused on the little pieces of building something that we think can happen down the line.

“Now, the franchise has to be a little bit patient with us. The fan base has to be a little bit patient with us.”