Strahan Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in San Marcos, Texas . It is an $ 8.8 million facility built in 1982 and is home to the Texas State University Bobcats men's basketball team , women's basketball team and women's volleyball team.
52-758: The arena was previously known as Strahan Coliseum , but changed its name to the University Events Center as part of a late 2018 expansion. On September 15, 2008, the Houston Comets and the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA came to play in the Coliseum due to Hurricane Ike canceling the final home game of the regular season for the Houston Comets. The Comets defeated Sacramento 90–81. This would end up being
104-627: A 15–19 record. Thompson would become a free agent and sign with the Seattle Storm. In the 2012 season, the Sparks significantly improved, making it back to the playoffs since 2010, finishing second in the Western Conference with a 24–10 record. That same year they drafted Rookie of the Year and future MVP Nneka Ogwumike with the number-one pick. However, the Sparks were eliminated 2–0 in the first round by
156-509: A 17–17 record. They barely made the playoffs as the number-four seed. In the first round, the Sparks were outplayed and swept by the eventual champion Monarchs. In 2006, the Sparks played much better, posting a 25–9 record. In the playoffs, they defeated the Seattle Storm in three games. However, in the Western Conference finals, the Sparks' season was ended by the Monarchs for the third year in
208-518: A 19–15 record. They would start off their playoff run against the rival championship-defending Minnesota Lynx. They would defeat the Lynx 75–68, advancing to the second round. In the second round elimination game, the Sparks lost 96–64 to the Washington Mystics , ending their run of two consecutive finals appearances. According to Matthew Shapiro of WNBA.com, the Sparks are the most historic franchise in
260-520: A decade with a dominant 92–75 game 3 victory. Even though they expected to clinch a championship on their home floor, they lost game 4 in a disappointing finish of 85–79. Game 5 was truly historic, against all odds, and swarmed with Minnesota fans, the 2016 WNBA MVP , Nneka Ogwumike grabbed an offensive rebound and made the game-winning shot to put the Sparks ahead 77–76 with 3.1 seconds remaining. The Sparks won their first championship since 2002 and their third championship in franchise history. Candace Parker
312-668: A group consisting of Mark Walter , Magic Johnson , Stan Kasten , Todd Boehly , Bobby Patton , and Eric Holoman. The Sparks have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in twenty of their twenty-four years in Los Angeles, more than any other team in the league. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) center and Tennessee standout Candace Parker , flashy point guard Nikki Teasley , and nearby USC alums Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson . In 2001 , 2002 , 2003 , 2016 and 2017 ,
364-614: A handful of people in the greater L.A. area and was certainly nowhere near the team's home arenas. In 2003 , the team left KWKU for KLAC , which had summer time slots available after the Anaheim Angels ' radio broadcasts had just left. That lasted until 2006 , when KLAC switched the broadcasts to XETRA , which carried the same format KLAC had before. In 2007 , the game broadcasts moved again, this time to KTLK , when XETRA switched its language of broadcasts from English to Spanish. The Sparks and Clear Channel Communications (licensee of
416-716: A local television channel in the Southern California area, after agreeing to a multi-year broadcast deal with Time Warner Cable in March 2012 which was later acquired by Charter Communications in May 2016. Broadcasters for the Sparks games are Larry Burnett and Lisa Leslie . Previously, Sparks games were found on Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket and former analysts have included Derek Fisher and Ann Meyers . Some Sparks games are broadcast nationally on ESPN , ESPN2 , Ion Television , CBS , CBS Sports Network and ABC . Currently,
468-502: A record of 13–21 in 2004, but returned in 2005 with a 19–15 record, finishing 3rd. In the first round, the Comets knocked out the 2004 defending champion Seattle Storm in 3 games, but lost in the conference finals to the Sacramento Monarchs in a sweep, which Sacramento later became WNBA Champions in 2005. Houston would return to the playoffs with an 18–16 record, but lost to the 2005 defending champion Sacramento Monarchs in another sweep. 2006
520-534: A row. After the 2006 season ended, team owner Jerry Buss announced he was selling the Sparks. On December 7, 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported the sale to an investor group led by Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson. Goodman is a former executive for Intermedia Films . Christofferson is a litigation attorney for the O’Melveny & Myers law firm and was Miss North Dakota USA in 1989. The day after
572-542: A sports venue in Texas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston . Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two teams in the WNBA that are undefeated in
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#1733085380272624-502: A stunning last-second, half-court, buzzer beater by the Liberty's Teresa Weatherspoon in Game 2 -- as it appeared the Comets were set to win the title -- to beat the Liberty in three games and win their third straight title, this one after the death of teammate Kim Perrot , who died of cancer . In 2000, behind league MVP Sheryl Swoopes and eventual WNBA Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, the Comets beat
676-706: The Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles , California . The capacity for a Sparks game is 13,141 because the upper level is closed off (capacity for a Lakers game is 18,997). The Sparks have played in the Crypto.com Arena since 2001 . They previously played at The Forum but stayed there for two years after the Lakers departed for Crypto.com Arena until the venue was purchased by a local church. Current injuries are not updated. Currently, some Sparks games are broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet ,
728-462: The Minnesota Lynx . The team was owned by Williams Group Holdings ( Paula Madison , majority owner) and Carla Christofferson, Nicholas J H, and Lisa Leslie (minority owners) until January 2014 when it was abruptly announced that WGH would relinquish all control. Paula Madison said that since becoming an owner in 2007, she and her family had lost $ 12 million, including $ 1.4 million in 2013. The team
780-526: The New York Liberty . When the season began, the Sparks got off to a great start, but coach Cooper left at mid-season to seek a coaching job in the NBA . The loss of their coach was a factor in the team's so-so finish to the season, which ended with a record of 25–9. During the playoffs, the team lost in three games to the Sacramento Monarchs . The Sparks never recovered through the 2005 season and finished with
832-683: The Seattle Storm 2–1 to reach the Western Conference Finals and compete against the San Antonio Silver Stars . The Sparks were on track to win game 2 of the series, but Silver Star Sophia Young made a turn-around bank-shot with a second left on the clock to force the series to a deciding game three. The Sparks lost game three, and the Silver Stars moved on to the WNBA Finals . Following the 2008 season, Parker announced that she
884-771: The WNBA Finals ; the Seattle Storm are the other. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and are tied with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm for the most championships of any WNBA franchise, and despite all of their success, the team was folded and disbanded by the league in 2008 during the height of the Great Recession because new ownership could not be found. The Comets were known for courting great women's basketball stars. The team had among its members Cynthia Cooper (the WNBA's first MVP ); college and national team standout Sheryl Swoopes ; Kim Perrot , who succumbed to cancer in 1999; and college stars Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson . The Comets were one of
936-603: The 1998 Houston Comets for best all-time. In the playoffs, the Sparks swept the Phoenix Mercury in the first round but lost in the Western Conference Finals again, when they were swept by the Comets. Ultimately, the Sparks were playing in the shadow of the Comets, who won the first four WNBA championships . The 2000–01 off-season saw a move to the Staples Center and a coaching change, when the Sparks hired former Los Angeles Lakers player Michael Cooper as head coach. During
988-469: The Comets and disbanded the team in December 2008. They stated that they would only be suspending operations in 2009, which some people saw as a sign that the franchise could be revived if an investor came in. Comets players were sent off to other teams in a dispersal draft. League president Donna Orender said that the collapse of the Comets was not a sign that the WNBA was in trouble. Cynthia Cooper said that
1040-573: The Comets would be moving from the Toyota Center to Reliant Arena for the 2008 WNBA season. This resulted in a loss of fans. The Toyota Center drew 13,000 fans, but the Reliant Arena could only house 7,200. In 2008, the Comets' final year, they only drew an average 6,000 fans per game and sold out four games. In 2008, Koch put the team up for sale, with an asking price of $ 10 million, however no investors stepped up. The WNBA took over management of
1092-409: The Liberty again, this time in two games, to win their fourth straight title cementing themselves as the greatest WNBA team ever assembled. This was the Comets' last championship and last Finals appearance in franchise history. The Comets suffered two blows before the 2001 season--Cooper retired and Swoopes tore her ACL. Despite playing without the two biggest stars from their title runs, Houston made
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#17330853802721144-452: The Sparks posted a 24–10 record and went into the playoffs looking for a "three-peat". Both the first and the second rounds were forced to deciding third games, as they beat the Minnesota Lynx and Sacramento Monarchs . The Sparks then faced the upstart Detroit Shock in the Finals. The Shock were on a roll after having been the worst team in the WNBA in 2002 . The Finals were a battle fueled by
1196-483: The Sparks went to the WNBA Finals . They won the title in 2001, 2002, and 2016, beating Charlotte , New York , and Minnesota respectively, but fell short to Detroit in 2003 and Minnesota in 2017. The 1997 WNBA season , the league's first, opened with a game between the Sparks and the New York Liberty at the Sparks home ( The Forum ) in Inglewood . The Sparks lost the game 57–67. Sparks player Penny Toler scored
1248-420: The Sparks were up 2–1 in the Finals. With another opportunity to close out the series at home, the Sparks failed to deliver as they lost Game 4 80–69, extending the series to a deciding Game 5. The Sparks would lose Game 5, failing to win back-to-back championships. In 2018, the Sparks continued to hold onto their core, but would underperform during the season, this time they would finish as the number 6 seed with
1300-488: The Sparks' first playoff berth, as the Sparks posted a 20–12 record. The Sparks won their first playoff game and series with a win over the Sacramento Monarchs . They played in the Western Conference Finals but fell to the defending champion Houston Comets , 2 games to 1, in the three-game series. The 2000 season was a record one, as the Sparks had a 28–4 record, the best in league history, and second only to
1352-458: The Sparks. Parker began the season on maternity leave, and Leslie suffered a knee injury early in the season. Both Leslie and Parker returned to the court in July, however, sparking a 10–2 run which turned an 8–14 start into an 18–16 regular-season record and clinching the Sparks' tenth playoff appearance in their 13-year history. In the first round of the playoffs, the Sparks defeated the Seattle Storm for
1404-460: The WNBA to revive the Comets franchise and intends to retain the team's branding if successful landing one. Head coaches : General managers Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles . The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference . The team
1456-570: The WNBA. After the 2018 season, Brian Agler resigned as the coach of the Sparks. One month later, the Sparks announced that Derek Fisher had been hired as a replacement. After the 2019 season, Penny Toler was dismissed as general manager. On June 7, 2022, the Sparks and Fisher parted ways as Head Coach and General Manager after the Sparks started the year off 5-7 after bringing in Liz Cambage . Fisher went 54-46 as head coach during his Sparks tenure. The Los Angeles Sparks currently play in
1508-508: The Western Conference. In 1998, they finished 27–3 – a .900 winning percentage, a WNBA record that still stands. They went on to repeat as champions, defeating the Phoenix Mercury in the first-ever WNBA Finals , which had become a three-game championship series. In 1999, led by what was already known as the Big Three , (Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson), the Comets survived
1560-453: The college player of the year, the morning after Parker had led the University of Tennessee Lady Vols to their second-straight NCAA championship. In 2008, the Sparks posted a 20–14 record and finished third in the Western Conference. Parker had won Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP, becoming the first player in WNBA history to win both awards in the same season. In the playoffs, the Sparks beat
1612-456: The ensuing regular season, the Sparks again posted a 28–4 record. In the 2001 playoffs, the Sparks finally eliminated the Comets, sweeping them in the first round. The Sparks took all three games to eliminate the Monarchs to earn their first berth in the WNBA Finals , in which they swept the Charlotte Sting , 2–0, for their first league championship. In 2002, Leslie became the first woman in
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1664-400: The first round, the Sparks made subtle roster changes and improved the following year. Suddenly showing signs of championship contention, they finished with a 26–8 record and made it to the 2016 WNBA Playoffs . By this time, the Sparks had a "Big Three", consisting of Candace Parker , Nneka Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver . They earned the number 2 seed in the league and received a double bye to
1716-464: The founding teams in the WNBA. Their first four seasons were marked by dominant success in the league, as they became the WNBA's first dynasty. They capped off the league's inaugural season in 1997 with a win over the New York Liberty in the WNBA championship game to win the WNBA's first championship. When the league expanded the next season, the Comets were moved from the Eastern Conference to
1768-452: The last game the Comets ever played; they folded after the season ended. On March 21-22, 2021, the arena hosted six First Round games of the 2021 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament as part of the relocation of the entire event to San Antonio and surrounding areas due to COVID-19 precautions. 29°53′19″N 97°55′58″W / 29.88861°N 97.93278°W / 29.88861; -97.93278 This article about
1820-503: The league to dunk the ball during a game, and once again the Sparks dominated the regular season, posting a 25–7 record. The Sparks then flew through the playoffs, sweeping both the Seattle Storm and the Utah Starzz . In the finals, the Sparks were matched against the Liberty, who were still looking for their first championship. A late three-pointer in game 2 by Nikki Teasley gave the Sparks their second consecutive championship. In 2003,
1872-406: The league with a 26–8 record with a double-bye to the semi-finals. The Sparks swept the Phoenix Mercury 3-0 in the semi-finals, advancing to the Finals for the second season in a row, setting up a rematch with the Lynx. In Game 1, Gray made a game-winning jumper with 2 seconds left to give the Sparks a 1-0 series lead. In Game 3, Parker set the Finals record for most steals in a game with 5 steals as
1924-418: The league's first two points with a lay-up 59 seconds into the game. The Sparks finished with a record of 14–14. The team did compete for a playoff spot, but because of a loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the final game of the season, the Sparks missed the playoffs. In the 1998 WNBA season , the Sparks finished 12–18, missing the playoffs once more. The 1999 season featured the development of Lisa Leslie and
1976-563: The loss of the Comets was "disturbing news" and that the Comets were integral to the WNBA. The Comets played their final home game on September 15, 2008 at the Strahan Coliseum on the campus of Texas State due to Hurricane Ike . They defeated the Sacramento Monarchs 90–81. They finished the season 17–17 and missed the playoffs for the third time in their history. In April 2024, the Rockets, now led by Tilman Fertitta , had submitted to
2028-495: The playoffs with a 19–13 record before falling in the first round to the eventual champion Los Angeles Sparks . In 2002, Swoopes won her second MVP and the Comets finished 24–8, but lost to the Utah Starzz in 3 games. In 2003, they qualified to the playoffs for the 7th straight year, but they lost in the first round to the Sacramento Monarchs in 3 games. They missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with
2080-458: The relationship between head coaches Michael Cooper (Sparks) and Bill Laimbeer (Shock) which stemmed from their days in the NBA . The rough road to the finals and the tough play of the Shock wore down the Sparks, who lost the series two games to one and failed to three-peat. During the 2003-04 off-season, the Sparks signed two players, Tamika Whitmore and Teresa Weatherspoon , who had played for
2132-455: The sale of the team to Hilton Koch , a Houston-based mattress and furniture businessman. Two weeks later, Comets assistant coach Karleen Thompson was named to become the team's new head coach and general manager for the 2007 season. For the 2007 season, they would miss the playoffs for the second time in franchise history after starting the season 0–10, resulting in a 13–21 record. On December 12, 2007, team owner Hilton Koch announced that
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2184-462: The sale was announced, team star Lisa Leslie announced that she was pregnant and would not play in the 2007 season. The Sparks posted a league-worst 10–24 record, also the worst in Sparks history. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998. Before the start of the 2008 season, the team's prospects improved dramatically. Lisa Leslie returned to the team, and on April 9, 2008, the team used its number-one draft pick to select Candace Parker ,
2236-622: The semi-finals with the WNBA's new playoff format. The Sparks faced off against the Chicago Sky in the semi-finals and defeated the Sky 3 games to 1 to advance to the Finals for the first time since 2003. They faced the number 1 seeded Minnesota Lynx in the finals. They stole game 1 on the road when veteran forward Alana Beard made a game-winning jumper at the buzzer, lifting the team to a 78–76 victory. They lost game 2 79–60, but back in Los Angeles, put themselves one win away from their first title in over
2288-438: The team's games are not on radio; however, the team did bounce around several stations from 1999 to 2008 . The first two years had no broadcasts. Then in 1999, the team signed with KWKU, a sister station to Spanish-language KWKW , licensed to Pomona, California . According to an article in the Los Angeles Times published in this period, KWKU had no switchboard and no website. In addition, its 500-watt signal reached only
2340-424: The team's next franchise player , the 2010 Sparks believed they had the pieces to contend for a championship. However, Parker had season-ending shoulder surgery after the team started 3–7. Without her, the Sparks struggled, finishing 13–21, which was good enough to qualify them for fourth place in the Western Conference, but they were swept by the eventual champion Seattle Storm in the first round. The 2011 season
2392-467: The third time in four years. In the Western Conference Finals, the Sparks' lost to the eventual champion Phoenix Mercury in three games. The end of the 2009 playoff run marked the end of Leslie's career as a player and Cooper's second tenure as Sparks' head coach. In the off-season, former Sparks player Jennifer Gillom became the team's new head coach. With the acquisition of former All-Star point guard Ticha Penicheiro and Parker establishing herself as
2444-509: Was eerily reminiscent of the previous year for the Sparks. The team started 4–3 but again Parker sustained an injury. Following three more losses, the Sparks fired head coach Gillom, promoting previous Sparks coach Joe Bryant . With Parker out until the end of the season, the Sparks headed into the All-Star break 6–8 and in fifth place. The Sparks finished the season three games out of the playoffs with
2496-559: Was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began. Like some other WNBA teams, the Sparks have the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart, even though the market is shared with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers . Lakers owner Jerry Buss owned the Sparks as a sister team to the Los Angeles Lakers from 1997 to 2006. Since 2014, the Sparks have been owned by Sparks LA Sports,
2548-463: Was named the Finals MVP. Coming into the 2017 season, the Sparks had some changes made in their roster. Toliver left the Sparks in free agency to join the Washington Mystics , Chelsea Gray became the starting point guard, the Sparks traded for Odyssey Sims , drafted Sydney Wiese and retooled most of their bench, but kept their core intact. The Sparks once again finished as the second best team in
2600-440: Was pregnant. To compensate for Parker's absence, the Sparks signed native veteran superstar Tina Thompson (who had previously played for the former rival Houston Comets ) and former Finals MVP Betty Lennox in free agency. With the addition of Thompson and Lennox, the Sparks added more championship experience and veteran leadership to their roster to them help them compete for another title. The 2009 season had started poorly for
2652-423: Was temporarily absorbed by the league, and was then purchased by Sparks LA Sports, a group that included former NBA player Magic Johnson . The 2014 and 2015 seasons would be disappointing for the Sparks as they had continued to be an underachieving playoff team, getting eliminated in the first round both years by the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx respectively. After making the playoffs in 2015, losing in
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#17330853802722704-584: Was the last playoff appearance for the Houston Comets. After the Comets' season ended in 2006, the team went through a major front-office changes during the off-season. In October 2006, team owner Leslie Alexander – who also owned the Houston Rockets -- announced he was selling the Comets, and longtime head coach Van Chancellor resigned in January 2007. On January 31, 2007, the WNBA Board of Governors approved
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