The Sparks have named longtime University of Utah coach Lynne Roberts their new head coach, becoming the second WNBA team to tap a current college coach to lead their franchise.
Roberts, a Redding native, has 27 years of coaching experience. She has spent the past 18 years as a Division I coach, most recently working at Utah for nine seasons and earning 2023 Pac-12 coach of the year honors.
She inherits a roster that was hit hard by injuries last season while pushing to rebuild around young talent. Cameron Brink, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, suffered a torn ACL in June. Rickea Jackson, the 2024 draft No. 4 pick, paired with former Las Vegas Aces standout Dearica Hamby to help lead the Sparks through a rough 2024 season that the franchise closed with an 8-24 overall record.
After missing the playoffs for a franchise-worst fourth consecutive season and setting records for defeats, the team fired coach Curt Miller and promised better results.
“Lynne is an outstanding coach and leader,” Sparks governor and managing partner Eric Holoman said in a news release. “We are thrilled to bring her decades of winning coaching experience to our organization. Through our comprehensive international search, Lynne’s modern view of basketball, her communication skills, and ability to build relationships made her the right choice for the role.”
Read more: Sparks miss out on No. 1 draft pick, landing again at second
Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley lauded Roberts’ skills creating a winning culture.
“Lynne has a dynamic and forward-thinking offensive mind, and her up-tempo style fits perfectly with the way we want to play,” Pebley said. “We love how she maximized her talent at Utah in one of the nation’s strongest conferences. We are honored to welcome Lynne and her family to Los Angeles.”
Roberts took over the Utah program in 2015, going 18-15 in her first year after the Utes posted a 9-21 record the previous season. She led Utah to the Sweet 16 in 2023 after winning the Pac-12 regular-season championship. Her teams spent 40 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 25. Average home attendance during Roberts’ tenure spiked from 594 to 7,209 fans per game. At Utah, Roberts coached 2024 No. 8 overall draft pick Alissa Pili and 2019 third-round selection Megan Huff.
“I am honored to be named the next head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks,” Roberts said. “I want to thank our ownership group for this incredible opportunity. From conversations with Eric Holoman and Reagan Pebley, it is evident that we share a like-minded commitment toward creating a winning culture and team. The Sparks have a talented roster with tremendous upside, and we will compete tirelessly for WNBA championships. I believe Los Angeles should be the premier market in the WNBA, and I’m eager to partner with our players and front office to make this happen.”
Read more: Plaschke: The Sparks’ dud owners need to buy into the hot WNBA … or sell the team
Roberts’ basketball career began in Redding, where she was a guard on the Enterprise High basketball team. She was the 1993 Northern Section player of the year before playing at Seattle Pacific University, setting a school record with 82 made three-pointers in a season.
Roberts began her coaching career as a student assistant at Seattle Pacific while earning her master’s degree, serving as a Falcons assistant coach from 1997-2002. She then led Division II Chico State, posting an 86-31 record. The Wildcats made the NCAA tournament all four seasons Roberts coached them, advancing to the Final Four in 2006.
From 2006-2015, Roberts led the Pacific Tigers, earning 2013 Big West coach of the year, the 2012-13 regular-season championship and WNIT bids during each of her final four seasons.
The Sparks learned earlier this week they have the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, falling short of getting the No. 1 slot they were favored to land in the lottery.
Roberts is the second current college coach to earn a WNBA job, with Florida Gulf Coast coach Karl Smesko landing the Atlanta Dream job.
Washington, Connecticut and Dallas are still working to fill coaching vacancies.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
