Derek Fisher is behind the Spark’s subpar start to season
Being a fan of the Los Angeles Sparks for the first three weeks has been like a ride on Space Mountain — it’s undeniably fun but has left fans in the dark about what is coming next. You can’t see what’s ahead of you, so there’s no predicting when you’ll experience a dip or turn. Like the iconic Disneyland attraction, the Sparks’ season has been a ride full of chaos in the darkness.
However, in such an unpredictable season, one thing has been obvious so far: the way this team is embracing the spirit of L.A. is special.
It doesn’t get more L.A. than signing the biggest, loudest and at times, most dominant player in the entire league. Liz Cambage’s arrival has been Shaq-esque. She’s dominated the paint on offense and defense, screaming at her hapless opponents as she overpowers them for buckets or blocks.
To make things even more intriguing, Cambage has a skill that Shaq never had: her 3-point shot. If you somehow keep her out of the paint, she has shown that she can hit shots from as far away as 40 feet. It’s a small sample size, but Cambage has shot 50% from three through six games. With her dominant play and unapologetically passionate personality, she’s sure to be a fan favorite for her entire Sparks career.
Welcome to Liz Angeles.
Cambage may be the flashiest new addition, but she surely isn’t the only one that’s bringing more L.A. swag to the Sparks. When you mention the basketball DNA of L.A., Jordin Canada’s name naturally follows.
Air Jordin has always resided in L.A. — she was born and raised in the City of Angels and played basketball at UCLA. However, her pro career took her to the Seattle Storm.
Jordin had success up north, winning two WNBA titles and (fittingly) signing a deal with Jordan Brand. Yet, she never broke out as a true star for the Storm: Her points per game average was consistently under 10 points.
It was time for her to return to the place where stars are made, and Los Angeles welcomed her back with open arms.
So far, the pairing has looked like a perfect match. Canada is having her best season of her career by far through the first six games, leading the team in assists while also putting up a career-high 12.7 points per game.
With Canada, Cambage and a host of other players form arguably the most talented team in all of women’s basketball.
So, they should be winning then, right?
Well, they’re not. Through six games, the Sparks sit at 2-4. Despite all the highlight-reel plays that have come from all over the roster, the Sparks’ season has been defined by a four-game losing streak.
The main issue driving the disappointing results has been an inability to close out games. Three of the Sparks losses have been by three points or less.
These close losses haven’t been a result of meltdowns by the players, however. On the court, the Sparks have made clutch play after clutch play to keep themselves within striking distance of a win.
However, there have been a few inexplicable coaching decisions that have been impossible to ignore. Against the Minnesota Lynx, Cambage was on the bench with less than 15 seconds remaining, leading to an easy basket in the paint for the Lynx. Odd play design in the last offensive possession doomed them in their last possession in the same game. The Sparks were also unable to get a good shot in the final seconds against the Atlanta Dream.
And ultimately, the responsibility for those decisions lands on L.A. darling and Sparks Head Coach Derek Fisher.
Fisher had plenty of memorable moments for the Lakers when he played, but his coaching career has been more laughable than magical. He was run out of the NBA in a year and a half and hasn’t been able to unlock the full potential of talented Sparks teams. This season has been more of the same.
To make matters worse, he was notoriously bad in crunch time as the coach of the Knicks as well, resulting in his reputation for last-second failures as a coach. Perhaps the clutch gene has run out for D-Fish.
But maybe not. Maybe he can lead the team on a run to the WNBA finals, or maybe he will be unable to unlock the potential of the Sparks once again, and we’ll be talking about another new basketball coach in L.A. in 2023.
Who knows, right? The edge-of-your-seat unpredictability has been a theme of the roller coaster type ride in the dark of a Sparks season so far.
But no matter what happens, it will undeniably be a rich chapter in the history of L.A. sports culture.
Ethan Inman is a sophomore who recently became a fan of the LA Sparks and decided to write about them from a fan’s perspective. His column runs every other Wednesday.