The Los Angeles Sparks failed to make the playoffs for the second season in a row, and they enter the offseason facing what forward Chiney Ogwumike called a “harsh reset.”

Los Angeles has missed the postseason in back-to-back years just once before in franchise history. Yet while the Sparks finished just a few wins shy of a playoff berth, the path back to contention seems murky.

Los Angeles Sparks: Year in Review

What went right?

Let’s be honest: Very little went right for the Sparks this season other than the sunny Los Angeles weather.

Sure, they started with lofty goals. The team signed Liz Cambage in the offseason and went all in on Chennedy Carter, trading a first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for the guard. But then it all went downhill.

An early sign of the Sparks’ strife came in June, when they parted ways with coach and general manager Derek Fisher. Yet this acknowledgment of the lack of fit between team and coach could be considered a positive step, even if it contributed to the team’s sunken season.

After all, sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. And in the Sparks’ case, things certainly got worse.

What went wrong?

A series of problems in the locker room involving Cambage led her and the team to agree to a contract divorce in late July, and the center said Monday she has “decided to step away from the league for the time being.”

The departure of Cambage didn’t bring an immediate turnaround. In a do-or-die game against the Sun on Aug. 11, the Sparks failed to keep their playoff hopes alive, and the postgame comments surrounding Carter underscored the tension surrounding the team.

Carter had missed the previous four games due to a “coach’s decision” before interim coach Fred Williams had what he described as a change of heart ahead of the game against Connecticut.

Carter and Williams both have remained mum on the reasoning behind her absence. The guard had played just 11 games for the Dream in 2021 before she was suspended following a locker room confrontation.

Away from the court, in what seemed like a metaphor for the team’s season as a whole, half of the Sparks’ roster spent the night in a Washington, D.C., airport after experiencing travel problems, which have plagued the league at large all year long.

What comes next?

Nneka Ogwumike and sister Chiney are both free agents, as are Kristi Toliver, Jordin Canada, Lexie Brown and Brittney Sykes.

“Conversations haven’t been had,” Nneka Ogwumike said Monday of whether or not she’ll return to the Sparks. “A lot of times, being the one that scores all the points is a heavy cross to bear. It sounds fun and it sounds like everyone wants it, but for me I am all about having a goon squad. It’s not just about having one player that’s doing it all.”

Still, she said leaving the Sparks hasn’t crossed her mind. She reiterated that she wants to continue playing for the Sparks, and Chiney Ogwumike has described she and her sister as a package deal.

Re-signing Nneka Ogwumike should be priority No. 1 for the Sparks this offseason. While it won’t fix all of the team’s problems, it could be a step in the right direction for the team.

Incoming NWSL expansion team Denver announced more infrastructure news on Thursday, naming the squad's first-ever employee in decorated sports executive Jen Millet, who will serve as club president.

"Jen stood out amongst an extensive list of qualified candidates," said controlling owner Rob Cohen in a club statement. "Jen’s understanding of soccer, building world-class brands, ability to engage the community, and passion for creating a culture of excellence made her the ideal fit to run our club."

Previously, Millet served as the chief operating officer for 2024 expansion team Bay FC, a club she led to the league's top in merchandise sales and top-three in ticketing revenue in the franchise's inaugural season.

The Denver post, in which Millet will lead all of the club's business operations, will return Millet to her hometown as she takes on another NWSL launch.

"People might say I'm crazy to do back-to-back builds," Millet told The Athletic. "But I actually love this kind of work, and so I'm excited to get going."

With a new dedicated stadium and training facility in the works, plus record season ticket sales and, now, NWSL-savvy leadership, Denver looks prepared to hit the ground running as the league's 16th team in 2026.

The 2025 PWHL Takeover Tour was a smash hit, with the second-year league’s nine-game out-of-market series drawing record-breaking crowds across North America.

Built as both a marketing push and a way to size up cities for future expansion, the Takeover Tour has given hockey fans access to the PWHL from Seattle to Québec City.

"The PWHL Takeover Tour has been one of the most rewarding initiatives since our inception — for our fans, our athletes, and our staff," said PWHL EVP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford.

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Record-setting crowds packed PWHL Tour stops

According to a Friday press release, a total of 123,601 fans visited the Tour, setting a new US attendance record for professional women’s hockey with 14,018 cheering in Denver on January 12th — a mark that fell just over two months later when 14,288 fans filled Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on March 16th.

More than half the games rank in the PWHL’s Top-10 most attended matchups, with the Takeover Tour's January 8th Vancouver stop registering fourth on the list with its 19,038-strong sellout crowd.

Even more, the league estimates that 80% of the Tour's attendees witnessed their first-ever PWHL game, making the series a rousing success in expanding the league's reach and growing the game beyond its six home markets.

"Across the nine stops, we connected with new fans, grew the game, and gave audiences the opportunity to experience the unparalleled excitement of a PWHL game live," said PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer.

"This Tour created core memories for our fans and players and its success is a true testament to the passion and support we’re seeing across North America."

Already looking deep into the future, the Tour also gave 945 hockey-playing girls access to clinics and meetings with PWHL stars — a move that Hefford hopes inspires the young athletes to aim for pro careers of their own, now that the league has paved the path into "an achievable goal."

Projected 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers announced her first pro deal on Friday, signing with new league partner Ally Financial as the bank gears up to help launch the WNBA’s first-ever Rivalry Week.

"I think the biggest lesson I've learned is to give with what you've been given," Bueckers said during a Friday morning press conference. "A lot of my partnerships, we have values aligned of giving back."

As draft prospects weigh the factors behind the decision to turn pro, Bueckers's early endorsement splash challenges the idea that NIL opportunities end the moment college players exit the NCAA.

The brand-new NCAA champion has been out of the college game for less than one week, but by cashing in with a deal immediately, Bueckers is proving that her value isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

"I think at times there's too much made about salary, and too much made about what's going on in college," Dallas GM Curt Miller told reporters on Thursday. "The top players that we're talking to, their endorsements are going to travel with them."

Ally backs debut WNBA Rivalry Week

In line with the deal, the Ally-sponsored inaugural WNBA Rivalry Week will run from August 9th through the 17th, highlighting matchups with a significant amount of recent history.

Key games will include Midwest regional foes Indiana and Chicago battling it out on CBS, new expansion team Golden State hosting a California clash against the LA Sparks, and a pair of WNBA Finals rematches featuring the NY Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and the Las Vegas Aces.

Monday’s 2025 WNBA Draft could seriously shape the future for the three teams at the helm of this year’s lottery, as top pick-holders Dallas, Seattle, and Washington all prepare to make major moves after a rollercoaster offseason.

The Wings currently hold the overall No. 1 pick, while Seattle will select second after a blockbuster three-team trade with LA and Las Vegas sent star Jewell Loyd to the Aces and the No. 2 pick to the Storm.

Washington also wields significant draft capital following another series of trades, which sent top guard Ariel Atkins to Chicago in exchange for the No. 3 pick. Meanwhile, the Mystics also hold Monday's fourth and sixth first-round selections.

While Dallas and Seattle wield the highest picks, Washington’s wealth of selections gives them the most first-round influence — especially over expansion franchise Golden State’s No. 5 pick.

"I think it actually creates an opportunity for us to build strength in a couple of different ways," said Mystics GM Jamila Wideman.

Flexibility is key in navigating the WNBA Draft

Uncertainty has reigned supreme in recent months, as team executives find out alongside the public exactly which college stars are entering the WNBA’s talent pool as some eligible standouts opt to remain in the NCAA for one final season.

"We're always nimble as GMs in this league," Dallas GM Curt Miller told media on Thursday. "You don’t truly know who is declaring and coming into the draft until the very end."

As for teams outside of the lottery, they'll have to cross their fingers and wait patiently on Monday, as last year’s lowest record-holders raid the draft pool first.