The Los Angeles Sparks are one of the WNBA’s founding members, as well as one of the most successful franchises in the league’s 30-year history.
ESPN reviewed the 30 best players in the league’s history for its 30-year anniversary, and it’s only natural that the Sparks have so many representatives given their history. Seven former Sparks feature on the list, several of whom spent most—if not all—of their WNBA careers in Los Angeles.
Who Made ESPN’s Top 30 List?
5. Lisa Leslie
Center Lisa Leslie is the highest-ranking Sparks player on the list, commanding the No. 5 spot in the ranking with her illustrious career. She began playing in the league’s inaugural 1997 season, and spent her entire career with the Sparks, stepping away from the game in 2009.
Leslie averaged 17.3 points per game with the Sparks, claiming 9.1 rebounds per game over the course of her long career.
She has a long list of awards in her repertoire, winning back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002 along with three MVP awards in 2001, 2004 and 2006. The team just unveiled her statue outside of Crypto.com Arena last month, cementing her legacy as a Los Angeles sports legend.
9. Candace Parker
Candace Parker is the only other Spark ranked in the Top 10, coming in at the No. 9 spot on ESPN’s list. A dominant forward, Parker led the team to their first championship in nearly 15 years in 2016, winning Finals MVP, and also earned both of her MVP selections with the Sparks in 2008—her rookie season—and 2013.
Parker didn’t spend the entirety of her career in Los Angeles, though, leaving after the 2020 season to play with the Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces through the final three years of her career. She went on to win two more championships with other franchises.
With the Sparks, she averaged 16.9 points per game over the course of 337 games, also posting 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
14. Tina Thompson
Another player who participated in the WNBA’s inaugural season, Tina Thompson won each of the first four WNBA championships with the now defunct Houston Comets before coming to the Sparks in 2009.
Thompson played three seasons with the team, averaging 13.1 points per game over the course of her time with the team. She earned an All-Star selection in 2009 and received MVP votes for her 2010 season, during which she averaged 16.6 points per game.
She played for the Seattle Storm after her time with the Sparks, and retired with the most points in WNBA history—though she has since been dethroned.
15. Seimone Augustus
Seimone Augustus played for the Sparks in 2020, but the best years of her career came in the prior 14 seasons with the Minnesota Lynx. She won four championships and earned Finals MVP in one of those series,
An eight-time All-Star, Augustus averted 5.9 points per game with the Sparks in a limited role in her final season in the league.
16. Nneka Ogwumike
Nneka Ogwumike Spent all but two of her WNBA seasons with the Sparks, the most recent of which came in 2026. She played for the team from 2012-23, winning her sole championship and MVP with the team in 2016. She is an 11-time All-Star, her most recent appearance coming this past season, and averaged double-digit points throughout her entire career.
Ogwumike went to the Storm for the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Storm before returning to the Sparks in 2026, retiring after the end of the season.
22. Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter spent less than a full season with the Sparks, appearing in 35 games for the team during the 2018 season—splitting the season with the Indiana Fever. She had a limited role on the Sparks, averaging just 3.6 points per game on 10.3 minutes, but had a fantastic career beforehand.
She is a two-time champion and a Finals MVP as well as a seven-time All-Star.
23. Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Gray is the Sparks’ final representative on the Top 30 list, but is the only active player to have played for the Sparks included. She currently owns the No. 23 spot, but could rise far higher if her career continues trending upwards. She spent 2016-2020 with the team, winning a championship before moving to the Las Vegas Aces, where she found plenty of success.
Gray is a four-time champion and a Finals MVP winner, and also has six All-Star appearances to her name. She averaged 12.8 points per game during her five seasons with the Sparks, which is her highest average with any team.
The post How Many Sparks Cracked ESPN’s Top 30 Players in WNBA History? appeared first on LA Sports Report.