1997 Los Angeles Sparks season
WNBA team season
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The 1997 WNBA season was the first season for the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks finished in second place in the Western Division with a record of 14 wins and 14 losses.
Head coachLinda Sharp (fired Jul. 16, 4–7 record)
Julie Rousseau (10–7 record)
Julie Rousseau (10–7 record)
ArenaGreat Western Forum
Record14–14 (.500)
Place2nd (Western)
| 1997 Los Angeles Sparks season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Linda Sharp (fired Jul. 16, 4–7 record) Julie Rousseau (10–7 record) |
| Arena | Great Western Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 14–14 (.500) |
| Place | 2nd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Transactions
WNBA allocation draft
| Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|
| Lisa Leslie |  United States |
USC |
| Penny Toler | United States |
Long Beach State |
WNBA elite draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Daedra Charles | United States |
Tennessee |
| 2 | 16 | Zheng Haixia |  China |
China |
WNBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jamila Wideman | United States |
Stanford |
| 2 | 14 | Tamecka Dixon | United States |
Kansas |
| 3 | 19 | Katrina Colleton | United States |
Maryland |
| 4 | 30 | Travesa Gant | United States |
Lamar |
Transactions
| Date | Transaction | |
|---|---|---|
| January 22, 1997 | Drafted Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler in the 1997 WNBA Allocation Draft[1] | |
| February 27, 1997 | Drafted Daedra Charles and Zheng Haixia in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft[1] | |
| April 16, 1997 | Hired Linda Sharp as Head Coach[1] | |
| April 28, 1997 | Drafted Jamila Wideman, Tamecka Dixon, Katrina Colleton and Travesa Gant in the 1997 WNBA draft[1] | |
| July 16, 1997 | Fired Linda Sharp as Head Coach[1] | |
| Hired Julie Rousseau as Head Coach[1] | ||
Roster
| 1997 Los Angeles Sparks roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
Regular season
Season standings
| Western Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Mercury x | 16 | 12 | .571 | 9–3 | – |
| Los Angeles Sparks o | 14 | 14 | .500 | 8–4 | 2.0 |
| Sacramento Monarchs o | 10 | 18 | .357 | 4–8 | 6.0 |
| Utah Starzz o | 7 | 21 | .250 | 3–9 | 9.0 |
Statistics
| Legend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | TO | Turnovers per game |
| PF | Fouls per game | Team leader | League leader | ||||
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penny Toler | 28 | 28 | 32.4 | .426 | .184 | .839 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 13.1 |
| Lisa Leslie | 28 | 28 | 32.2 | .431 | .261 | .598 | 9.5 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 15.9 |
| Tamecka Dixon | 27 | 21 | 26.5 | .456 | .423 | .773 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 11.9 |
| Jamila Wideman | 28 | 14 | 22.6 | .236 | .194 | .794 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Katrina Colleton | 28 | 14 | 21.9 | .437 | .360 | .567 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 4.9 |
| Zheng Haixia | 28 | 21 | 19.9 | .618 | N/A | .661 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 9.3 |
| Linda Burgess | 28 | 6 | 17.6 | .541 | .500 | .735 | 4.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 6.5 |
| Mwadi Mabika | 21 | 1 | 15.5 | .390 | .184 | .542 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 6.0 |
| Heidi Burge | 22 | 6 | 12.8 | .444 | .000 | .511 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 4.0 |
| Daedra Charles | 28 | 1 | 10.1 | .403 | .000 | .667 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.3 |
| Travesa Gant | 2 | 0 | 6.5 | .000 | N/A | N/A | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kim Gessig | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
‡Waived/Released during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
- Tamecka Dixon was tied for tenth in the WNBA in steals with 49.
- Tamecka Dixon ranked tenth in the WNBA in Field Goal Percentage (.456)
- Lisa Leslie ranked third in the WNBA in points with 445 points.
- Lisa Leslie ranked third in the WNBA in points per game with 15.9
- Lisa Leslie ranked fifth in the WNBA in field goals with 160.
- Lisa Leslie ranked first in the WNBA in total rebounds with 266.
- Lisa Leslie ranked second in the WNBA in blocks with 59.
- Penny Toler ranked tenth in the WNBA in points with 368 points.
- Penny Toler ranked eighth in the WNBA in field goals with 144.
- Penny Toler ranked tenth in the WNBA in points per game with 13.1[2]
- Penny Toler ranked sixth in the WNBA in Free Throw Pct with .839
- Penny Toler ranked second in the WNBA in assists with 143.
- Jamila Wideman ranked seventh in the WNBA in assists with 103.
- Haixia Zheng ranked ninth in the WNBA in blocks with 20.
Awards and honors
- Lisa Leslie, Center, All WNBA First Team [3]
- Lisa Leslie: Led WNBA, Defensive Rebounds, 203
- Lisa Leslie: Led WNBA, Total Rebounds, 266
- Lisa Leslie: Led WNBA, Rebounds per game, 9.5
- Lisa Leslie ranked second in the WNBA with 2.1 blocks per game.
- Lisa Leslie ranked third in the WNBA with 113 Free Throws.
- Haixia Zheng, WNBA Peak Performer
- Haixia Zheng, Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
- Haixia Zheng: Led WNBA, Field Goal Percentage, .618