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ROSE BOWL STADIUM TO DEDICATE STATUE TO UCLA LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COACH TERRY DONAHUE

By
Press Release
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UCLA during the PAC-12 Football Media Day 2016. Live at Ray Dolby Ballroom at the Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Center in Los Angeles, Ca. on July 14, 2016 (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Jevone Moore/Full Image 360

PASADENA, Calif. (June 8, 2023) – The winningest coach in UCLA football and Pac-12 Conference history, Terry Donahue, will be celebrated with a statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium this Fall. The unveiling and dedication event, which is open to the public, will take place on Friday, October 27th at 3:00 PM at America’s Stadium in Pasadena.

The statue of Coach Donahue will be surrounded by 151 bronze roses of varying shapes and sizes. As a gift by over 100 donors to the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the non-profit that supports the preservation, protection and enhancement of the Stadium’s future, each rose has been supported by an individual or family and honors one of the conference- and school-record 151 wins during Donahue’s career on the UCLA sidelines. 

UCLA Field ready for Spring Ball 2019 in Los Angeles. Photo by Jevone Moore


Coach Donahue’s statue will be the fourth on Rose Bowl property to represent key moments and people in the venue’s history, joining Jackie Robinson (dedicated in 2017), the 1999 Team USA FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions (dedicated 2019) and iconic broadcaster Keith Jackson (dedicated 2019).  The commemorative statue will celebrate Donahue’s presence as a coach as well as commemorate his 151 wins. It will be the first, statue located inside the Stadium’s gates with the other three located outside the venue’s fence line near the Stadium’s main entrance at Gate A.

The statue’s location inside the venue will be an area of enjoyment and education for all fans, student-athletes, coaches, and visitors to the Stadium. Adjacent to the Charles E. Young Locker Room, UCLA players and coaches will pass by the iconic coach before each home game.

Over 20 years, Coach Donahue had more wins than any football coach in the school’s history, including seven consecutive bowl championships. He became the face of football at UCLA as a player and coach, staying in the latter position for two decades and leading the school to seven consecutive bowl-winning seasons in the 1980s.

“Coach Donahue’s spirit and what he meant to his players, colleagues, the UCLA community and to the history and preservation of the Rose Bowl Stadium was larger than life,” said Dedan Brozino, President of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. “He represented the integrity, sportsmanship and care for teaching that is emblematic of only the special coaches in the game – and Terry was beyond legendary.”  

Donahue won more games than any other coach in the school’s and the Pac-12 Conference’s history. He ended his career with a winning record against each of the conference’s teams, including the Bruins’ crosstown rival, the University of Southern California Trojans.

Overall, he won 151 of the 233 games he coached, and 98 of those victories were in the Pac-10 (as the conference was known before adding two teams in 2011). His eighth and final win in a bowl came in the 1991 John Hancock Bowl.

UCLA BRUINS


Donahue’s streak of bowl victories included Rose Bowl Game® wins in ’83, ’84 and ’86. He was the first person to appear in the Rose Bowl Game® as a player, an assistant coach and a coach.

“On behalf of the Terry Donahue family, we are humbled by this outpouring of support for the Terry Donahue Statue and 151 Roses Dedication,” said Andrea Donahue. “The Rose Bowl has always played a meaningful part in our lives and provided us many opportunities and great joy. We can’t begin to express our gratitude for this iconic stadium and all the people that make it so special. It is a great honor to continue Coach Terry Donahue’s legacy so that he may continue to impact the lives of others.”
 
On the field, Donahue played in UCLA’s 1966 Rose Bowl Game® victory, the upset win over Michigan State was UCLA’s first Rose Bowl Game® victory. The team earned the nickname “Gutty Little Bruins” because nobody on the defensive line weighed more than 225 pounds. Donahue, a walk-on, weighed just 195 pounds.

“Coach Donahue impacted thousands of young men from all over America, not just in football, but in life,” said Troy Aikman. “As good as he was at coaching the game, his greatest gift was being an example for how to be better men. We all carry a part of him deep within us. I’m so proud to support this project at the Rose Bowl to honor Coach and his lasting impact on so many.”

“On behalf of the Rose Bowl Stadium, we want to thank all the donors who made this project possible. We are proud to honor a man who is not only iconic to the legacy of UCLA football, but to all of college football,” said Chief Executive Officer / General Manager Jens Weiden. “This statue will stand at America’s Stadium for generations to come so we can remember his impact, and all that he represented for the Bruins and the game of college football.” 

Having hosted two Olympic Games (with a third coming in 2028), two FIFA® World Cup Finals, five Super Bowls, and countless first-class entertainment moments, the Rose Bowl Stadium has highlighted key moments around the venue over the years.  Statues, historical markers, historical photos, paintings, timelines, the 1922 Locker Room Museum, and the soon-to-open California High School Football Hall of Fame have transformed the world-renowned venue into a walking museum of sports and entertainment excellence.

Seattle thunders their way back from 21-point deficit to pick up first win of season 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – After a brutal blowout to start the season and three tightly contest losses, the Seattle Storm have won their first game of 2023 with a 66-63 comeback victory against the Los Angeles Sparks. The game forecast seemed dark and difficult early on, as Los Angeles was able to hold a 21-point lead at one point, before the Storm were able to channel their energy into impact with strong defensive and crafty baskets. Seattle shooting guard Jewell Loyd continues her hit streak to begin the season, pouring in 25 points while tallying her 4,000th-career point, all in a Storm uniform. The puzzle pieces continue to come together for Seattle, whose rookies were impressive in this contest while veterans Loyd and Ezi Magbegor had strong efforts to propel the team forward.  

“That was a great effort from our group super excited for this group to see the fruits of their labor. Being rewarded by a win, and it’s not just the win, but the how. This is a good step for us and we will continue to learn, grow and get better but I’m super happy for this group, how we fought and how we stick stay together, never wavered through our effort tonight,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on her overall thoughts of the win. 

Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

Seattle had been able to start every game of their young season so far with a quick burst of energy that either got them ahead of their opponent or keep them around, but the Storm were instantly pushed aside by the Sparks in this contest. Los Angeles was getting whatever they wanted out on the perimeter, and while Seattle tried to focus on that to get things turned around, the Sparks found their way inside for some easy points in the paint. It was the perfect sort of recipe for how to start the ballgame, Los Angeles had things clicking on all cylinders, and it was looking really ugly for a Seattle team that was still searching for its first victory on the season. Poor shooting on the offensive end for the Storm wasn’t matching what the Sparks were able to do, and it appeared to be gloomy for Seattle.  

“More energy on the defensive end. We talked about our pickup points, starting with Jordin and Azura, just being engaged. We talked about our physicality and not allowing Nneka just to get to her sweet spots, just playing with more energy. There were some defensive breakdowns because of communication and coverages, that was another thing just being ultra aware of what’s happening on the floor. Trying to play out of our defense with some transition and it wasn’t going to be a homerun play. It was possession by possession, just continue to chip away. Some good things happened before the half ended and it gave us some momentum to go into the second half,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on how the team got back into the game. 

Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

After that brutal first quarter, the Storm were able to remain level-headed and get into their defensive switches to frustrate a Sparks team that had taken great care of the ball to begin the year. Despite Los Angeles leading the WNBA in fewest turnovers, Seattle found a way to frustrate the Sparks and help ignite their own offensive attack with pace and defensive presence. Through their switching and their activity on defense, Seattle frustrated Los Angeles’ offensive approach and forced plenty of turnovers, turning defense into offense. Considering that the Storm have the most fast break points per game, that sort of defensive persistence played right into their favor to help Seattle claw right back into this game. 

Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

The Storm will take a few days off/train ahead of their next battle, the first of two in as many games against the Washington Mystics. The two battles over the course of this weekend will include festivities for the legendary Sue Bird, who is having her jersey retired and put amongst the Climate Pledge Arena rafters on the Sunday, May 11th battle against the Washington Mystics. It’s sure to be a busy weekend for Seattle, who aims to build off this win, and it continues with that next game on May 9th against the Mystics with a 7PM PST tip off.   

Storm can’t spoil Breanna Stewart’s return to Seattle in loss to Liberty 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – In the worst start to a season in their franchise history, the Seattle Storm lost their third straight game, as they fell to the New York Liberty by a score of 86-78. Seattle battled hard throughout the entire game, against one of the two super teams in the WNBA, but a big third quarter by New York ultimately dug the Storm a hole they couldn’t fully climb out of. Seattle switched heavily, leaving them in some disadvantageous mismatches that New York was able to exploit in the third, including Breanna Stewart. Stewie poured in ten in the third frame to help the Liberty pull away and deal her former team the loss in front of 8,340 fans inside Climate Pledge Arena.  

Just as they have in the previous two games to open the season, the Storm battled early on to give themselves a good start against the Liberty. Seattle’s Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor lead the charge early and helped keep the Storm in the fight as the Liberty got into their offense. With numerous weapons that could attack the interior, the Liberty were getting inside early and often as they made sure to switch heavily to get Seattle’s smaller players in mismatches. While Loyd and Magbegor led the push, the rest of the Storm lineup pitched in to hang with a New York roster that very well could find themselves in the Finals. Attacking the point and surviving the switches through help defense, the Storm went into halftime only training by seven points.  

“I think anyone can see that. We’ve gotten better every game and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to build, not just for this month, but for the year. We understand it’s gonna be some learning curves and regression, so figuring out rotations, defensive assignments… We’re getting better,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on if she thinks the team is improving.  

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Following the tight first half, things were different coming out of the halftime break. While the Storm did get within three points of the Liberty within the first two minutes and were still hanging around until late, the end of the quarter is where separation began to show. Breanna Stewart closed out that quarter strong in the final four minutes, as he racked up three points and five rebounds as she put her fingerprints all over the game. With Stewart getting activated, the Liberty were able to open their attack a bit more as they got inside while being able to pop out to the perimeter where their shooters could take over.  

“I think coming out of halftime, we knew we had to just be aggressive, the first five minutes of the quarter. That was an emphasis that we had. Going forward, we just have to figure out how to stop teams’ runs. They obviously got that, and I think we just have to do a better job of stopping them in the moment, Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm power forward/center, on what happened in the third quarter. 

Following their third loss in a row to begin the season, the Storm will head out on the road for the first time this year. Seattle will head down to Los Angeles to battle the Sparks for the regular season and second this year if you include the preseason contest that the Storm won. Tipoff for their battle on Saturday, June 3rd at 7PM PST. The Sparks haven’t gotten off to the hottest start to the season, winning their first game on the year against the Phoenix Mercury before they have dropped consecutive games to the Las Vegas Aces. 

Storm thunder back against Wings but fail to complete comeback 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – In their second game of the 2023 season and their new era in franchise history, the Seattle Storm dropped a tight contest against the Dallas Wings at Climate Pledge Arena in front of 8,277 fans. Much different than their 41-point historically poor loss to the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle was able to Storm back against the Wings after Dallas controlled most of the game. There was an opportunity in the dying seconds of the contest, when Seattle had a potential rebound to regain the ball down one possession slip through their fingers. Wings forward Satou Sabally grabbed the loose ball that could’ve tied things up for the Storm on the other end and put it up for a quick-two to double their lead and essentially end the game with 4.8 ticks left. It’s a frustrating result for Seattle, after battling back hard to get into this game, but nice to see that push at all.  

“There was more fight, I think we were a little bit more comfortable. We had a really great week of practice. People were committed to just getting better. And, you know, that’s what you want to see. It’s obvious you want to get a win. But at the same time, you need to see the growth and improvement and I think that we could practice, watching film breaking it down, and I’m gonna get action shots, and extra conditioning,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on tonight’s loss.  

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Like their season opening loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the Storm were able to find some energy going into the beginning of the game to get them started on an eight-point run. Veteran point guard Yvonne Turner again led the Seattle attack, as the Storm were able to spread the offense around this time. Couple that with Seattle stymying the Wings attack out of the gate and contesting multiple Dallas shots, and the Storm were able to start things off well. It was eerily like the team’s opening quarter against the Aces, and this first quarter ended just like that one against Las Vegas. Seattle started to fade, as Dallas got in the paint and started to dictate the pace of the game while having guard Arike Ogunbowale on the perimeter to knock down shots when the opportunity presented itself. If these first two games are any indication of things being a trend, Seattle will need to sustain these hot starts going forward if they want to get any success this season.  

After an eleven-point differential at the halfway mark, the Storm battled back and brought the fight to the Wings throughout the second half and even outscored Dallas in the fourth quarter. Jewell Loyd, the best player on this Storm team, hit hard shot after hard shot while veteran guard Sami Whitcomb found her spark to help. Kia Nurse, who had only played three minutes in the second half of game one, found her game as well as she exploded for 20 points to put three of the Seattle starters in double digits. Getting that sort of support for Loyd, who will undoubtedly be the leader of this team, will be huge if the Storm want to win any games this year.   

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

“I just think people are just getting comfortable. And every day I see their faces, you know, how they walk in the locker room, how they come to practice, like they’re getting more confident, but it takes some time. We have to be patient. We were better today than we were last game, right? You see little bits and pieces coming together. We’re gonna build off this and, you know, we’ll get there for sure,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on establishing a new identity. 

The Storm continue their three-game homestand to begin the 2023 season, hosting former franchise legend Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty. That game will take place on Tuesday, May 30th with a 6PM PST Tipoff being broadcast on ESPN2. Seattle has another tough test on their hands within their first three contests, as they’ll host the two mega-super teams in the WNBA in the Aces and Liberty. It’s a rude awakening for the Storm, who are trying to get some younger players integrated into their system and establish a new identity, and it’ll be an immediate trial by fire. Taking into consideration the fight and energy that Seattle showed in this loss, there’s reason to believe their season won’t be full of blowouts, but it’s going to be very tough to beat New York.    

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Vegas Aces take control in 2nd half

By
Jevone Moore
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Photo by Full Image 360

Los Angeles, CA – The Las Vegas Aces come from behind with a 94-85 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.

The Aces had four players in double figures for the game, the hot hand in first half and the game was Jackie Young with game high 30 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assist.

Photo by Full Image 360

At 3:05 in 3rd quarter the Aces tied the score at 59 battling back. After a Sparks turnover the Aces took the lead 61-59 with smooth jump shot in the paint. The Aces kept pushing taking a 3rd quarter 4-point lead 67-63.

While playing with the lead the Aces took the Sparks best shot and never gave back the momentum.

“We talked in the locker room after the game and said in this league there is no moral victories,” said coach Miller, “I thought we did good, but credit to defending champions Aces for a great performance.”

Ogwumike #13 (Photo by Full Image 360)

The short-handed Sparks found a way to keep the ball moving in the first half to lead 46-36. The Sparks only had eight players for the game.

The biggest name missing from today line up was the heart of the team Nneka Ogwumike #30 who was listed as injury/illness – non-COVID illness.

Sparks guard Lexie Brown jumped out with 12 points in first half to lead the Sparks. Fellow forward Chiney Ogwumike lead the Sparks scoring 19 points but being in a little foul trouble.

“We are fearless team,” said Ogwumike #13 “We are LA!, … this is a team who is bought in.”

For the Aces Young took control leading all scores with 13 points and 2 rebounds.

1st year Sparks coach Kurt Miller knew his defense would have to lead to a strong offense. The Aces showed in their road opener they destroyed the Seattle Storm 105-64.   

Aces Parker (Photo by Full Image 360)

The Aces could not stay out the view of the referees whistle all night with fouls for the whole team. But in the end they showed resilience while coming away with a strong victory moving to 2-0 record.

The Sparks will travel to Las Vegas for their first road game verse this same team. Now the record moving to 1-1 to begin the 2023 season.

Aaron & Erika Donald of the Los Angeles Rams sitting courtside. (Photo by Beast / fi360 News)

Broom And Gloom

By
Christopher Floch
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Photo by Full Image 360

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Denver Nuggets are headed to their first ever NBA Finals after a 113-111 game four victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James was phenomenal in defeat, scoring 40 points and single handedly keeping the Lakers within striking distance.

Denver completed a sweep over Los Angeles by doing what they did in the previous three games. Superstar center Nikola Jokic came up clutch with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, including the game-winning bucket with less than a minute remaining. Jamal Murray dominated the court, and in the end the talented Nuggets were just too skilled.

Photo by Full Image 360

Trailing by two with four seconds remaining and their season hanging in the balance, LeBron drove to the rim, but the Nuggets colapsed around him and he was unable to get off a shot.

Denver trailed by fifteen points at halftime, 73-58. It was a tale of two halves, as the Nuggets got hot, while the Lakers failed to hold their large lead.

LeBron James seemed poised to steal the headlines after dropping 31 points in the first half. But Denver fought back, outscoring LA 36-16 in the third quarter to seize control of the game.

LeBron James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. At 38 years old he became the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a playoff game.

James started the game on fire, scoring 21 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 34-26 lead.

James shocked the NBA landscape by  confessing to ESPN he will consider retirement this offseason. James ended his news conference by telling reporters, “Going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”

Photo by Full Image 360

For the Nuggets, the NBA Finals has been a long time coming. It has taken Denver 46 seasons to reach this point, the most seasons before a Finals appearance in NBA history. Denver had 93 playoff wins entering Monday night, the most all-time without a Finals berth.

Jokic was named Western Conference Finals MVP, he collected his NBA playoff-record eighth triple double.

A Kentavious Caldwell-Pope layup 7:21 into the third extended the Nuggets run to 24-8 and give them their first lead of the game at 82-81.

In the final five minutes, the game remained a back-and-forth battle through the final minute. But as they’ve done all postseason, the Nuggets made the big plays when it mattered most down the stretch.

A Jokić layup in traffic with 51 seconds remaining gave Denver the lead for good at 113-111. All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures. Murray finished with 25 points in the series clinching win.

Anthony Davis finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal. Rui Hachimura tallied 10 points in his postseason debut in the starting lineup.

The Nuggets are on the the way to the NBA Finals. The Lakers, meanwhile saw a midseason turnaround and unexpected playoff run from the play-in come up short against a superior Denver team.

Denver will get a long break before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which is slated for June 1 in Denver.

Any other year for the Lakers its championship or failure. But most would agree this is not the case for this gritty, overachieving group who quickly gelled as a formidable unit in the later stages of the season.

Storm blown out by 41 in season opening loss to Aces to start a new era 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Seattle Storm (Photo by Stan Morris / fi360 News)

Seattle, WA – To begin a new era in the Seattle Storm’s franchise history without Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, the four-time WNBA Champions were blasted at home by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. The 41-point loss was the worst in franchise history, as Seattle is searching for new faces to step into the spotlight and takeover alongside shooting guard Jewell Loyd. While the Storm came out in the first quarter and matched the energy and effort of the Aces, Las Vegas’ starting five imposed their will in the paint when the second quarter began and never looked back. 

This game started out hot for Seattle and the Storm, as veteran point guard Yvonne Turner and a returning Mercedes Russell came out with energy and unafraid of the super team that is the Aces. Seattle was able to stay toe-to-toe with Las Vegas through the first quarter, with high energy and effort. Although rebounding was a primary issue for the Storm last season, Seattle was able to clog the lane defensively and hold Candace Parker and A’ja Wilson to limited impact through those first fifteen minutes. It appeared that this Storm team may be able to hang with Las Vegas in this season opener, as they remained active defensively and were using high energy to stay in the face of their opponent. 

Las Vegas Aces vs Seattle Storm (Photo by Stan Morris / fi360 News)

“Obviously nobody wants to lose, and nobody wants to lose this bad, we understand that. As professional athletes, you gotta come up with some pride and integrity. We’ve got a lot of new people in there that are kinda shocked. For us that was a good test, to play the defending champions, we’ve gotta see what it’s like to get to that level. I think it’s a good eye opener for us. We’ve just got to stay encouraged, watch film, and get better,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on today’s game.    

With Mercedes Russell returning to the lineup following last season that saw her deal with a non-basketball related injury all year long, it appeared that Seattle was going to get some quality help with their paint presence. Through that first quarter, it appeared that was going to be true as Russell at center and Ezi Magbegor at power forward seemed to be a strong combination that was battling against the talented Aces front court. Las Vegas adjusted, and tortured Seattle in the paint for the rest of the night after those 15 fifteen minutes. The Aces were getting whatever they wanted in the paint, and when the Storm tried to help inside, Las Vegas was able to knock shots down from the perimeter. Things were falling apart for Seattle, and fast.   

Las Vegas Aces vs Seattle Storm (Photo by Stan Morris / fi360 News)

“A positive is that we have so much to work on, that’s not us obviously. I think we can get back to the drawing board and work on our strengths as a team. That’s my takeaway,” Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm center, on today’s game.   

Following the biggest loss in Storm franchise history, Seattle looks to get back to the film and hit the practice court ahead of their next battle, Friday May 26th with a tipoff time of 7PM PST against the Dallas Wings. The Wings are coming off a seven-point season opening victory against the young Atlanta Dream team, as three of the Dallas starters scored at least 20 points including Arike Ogunbowale’s 27. It’ll be another tough test for Seattle early into this season, as the Wings and Storm have had brutal battles down to the wire in the past few years.   

Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn (Photo by Stan Morris / fi360 News)

Sparks shine bright on opening night

By
Jevone Moore
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Nnneka Ogwumike #30 goes to the basket. (Photo by Full Image 360)

Los Angeles, CA – With the bright lights on National TV on ESPN for the night cap of WNBA triple header the Sparks shinned with a 94 – 71 victory. Not a surprise Nneka Ogwumike #30 was the guiding light scoring 17 points to lead all scores.

“We had a slow start and we didn’t get to low or too high,” said N. Ogwumike

N. Ogwumike #30 boxes out Brittney Griner #42 for a rebound. (Photo by Full Image 360)

Behind new head coach Curt Miller the Los Angeles Sparks showed that with a limited bench with only 9 players in rotation they could gel and put points on the board.

When the Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris is present to kickoff the 2023 WNBA Season for Los Angeles Sparks you have no choice but to show off.

After a slow start by the Sparks the Phoenix Mercury took a first quarter lead 22-19 after a 9-0 run to jumpstart this game. The much anticipated return of Brittney Griner was huge and she didn’t disappoint scoring 11 points in first half and finished the game with 18 points and 5 rebounds.

Balance scoring with 5 players scoring in double figures with Chiney Ogwumike #13 15, Lexie Brown #4 14, Karlie Samuelson #44 13 and rookie Zia Cooke #1 14 points.

Zia Cooke #1 points out the offense. (Photo by Full Image 360)

“We waived Samuelson before the season knowing that we would be able to be resigned as hardship signee.” said Miller, “She is just a sound fundamental player with great mechanics.

The Sparks bench players stepped up and you can see why coach Miller brought in so many veterans to compete for a roster spot and compete on the court.

The Sparks really took care of the basketball tonight with only 6 turnovers in the game. On the defense side of the ball they made the Mercury force up shots late in the shot clock. It’s always good to start their offense with a few defense stops.

Jordin Canada #21 makes a move on Moriah Jefferson #8. (Photo by Full Image 360)

“To our credit we dug ourselves out of double-digit deficient to winning double-digit victory,” said Miller.

Next up the Sparks will host the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday May 25th with 7pm pst tipoff.

Sparks Announce 2023 Final Roster

By
Press Release
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Ogwumike's with coach Miller (Photo by Full Image 360)

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2023) – The Los Angeles Sparks, led by Head Coach Curt Miller, tip off the 2023 season tomorrow, Friday May 19th, at Crypto.com Arena against the Phoenix Mercury at 8 p.m. PT on ESPN.

The Sparks 12-woman final roster returns five players from the 2022 Sparks, led by former MVP and WNBA champion Nneka Ogwumike. Also returning is two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike, WNBA Champions Lexie Brown and Jordin Canada, and Southern California native Katie Lou Samuelson, who will miss the 2023 season (pregnancy).

The newest additions feature WNBA Champion Azura Stevens, two-time All-Star, Sixth Woman of the Year and 2022 WNBA Champion Dearica Hamby, and three-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team selection and 2017 All-Star Jasmine Thomas. The Sparks also signed former WNBL MVP Steph Talbot this offseason, who will miss the 2023 season with a torn ACL suffered this offseason.

Rookie and No. 10 pick Zia Cooke (South Carolina) will make her regular season debut for Los Angeles, while the No. 14 pick Shaneice Swain (Australia) will not come over to the WNBA in 2023.

The Sparks rounded out the 2023 roster with WNBA All-Star Layshia Clarendon and forward Joyner Holmes. In addition, the Sparks today claimed second-year combo guard Nia Clouden off waivers. Clouden was drafted No. 12 overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2022 WNBA Draft. The Michigan State standout scored 50 points in a collegiate game against Florida Gulf Coast, setting a program record.

The Sparks lead the WNBA with 20 franchise postseason appearances and are the only franchise to reach 500 regular season wins.

Final Roster

No.PlayerPOSEXPDOBCollege/Country  
1Zia CookeGR9-Jan-01South Carolina/USA
4Lexie BrownG527-Oct-94Duke/USA
5Dearica HambyF96-Nov-93Wake Forest/USA
13Chiney OgwumikeF-C521-Mar-92Stanford/USA
15Jasmine ThomasG1230-Sept-89Duke/USA
21Jordin CanadaG511-Aug-95UCLA/USA
23Azura StevensC51-Feb-96Connecticut/USA
24Joyner HolmesF322-Feb-98Texas
25Layshia ClarendonG102-May-91Cal/USA
30Nneka OgwumikeF102-Jul-90Stanford/USA
33*Katie Lou SamuelsonF413-Jun-97Connecticut/USA
 2 Nia Clouden G 1 17-May-00 Michigan/ USA

*Katie Lou Samuelson will miss the 2023 season (pregnancy)

*Steph Talbot will miss the 2023 season (ACL) 

Basketball Operations & Coaching Staff

Curt Miller (Photo by Full Image 360)

Chief Administrative Officer and General Manager – Karen Bryant

Assistant General Manager – Eli Horowitz

Vice President, Operations & Player Relations- Ilene Hauser

Head Coach- Curt Miller

Assistant Coach- Chris Koclanes

Assistant Coach- Steve Smith

Assistant Coach – Danielle Viglione

Player Development Coach- Nola Henry

Video & Analytics Coordinator- Addison Lee

Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer- Dr. Courtney Watson

Assistant Athletic Trainer- Charvette Johnson

Strength and Performance Coach –Emily Blurton

Equipment & Facilities Manager – Thomas Archie

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS

Founded in 1996, the Los Angeles Sparks are one of three original franchises in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Sparks have won three WNBA Championships (2001, 2002, 2016), have qualified for the playoffs in 20 of their 26 seasons and remain the only active team in the league to win back-to-back titles. The Los Angeles Sparks are dedicated to ensuring each home game at Crypto.com Arena has a championship level entertainment experience while showcasing the best female athletes from around the world on the court. LA Sparks 2023 tickets are availablehere for purchase.

SEATTLE SETS OPENING DAY ROSTER

By
Press Release
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Seattle Storm (Photo by Full Image 360)

Storm hosts Las Vegas on Saturday for 2023 Opening Day presented by Providence Swedish

SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm announced today it has finalized its 12-player roster for Saturday’s Opening Day game presented by Providence Swedish.

Seattle is led by a trio of returning players in Jewell Loyd, Ezi Magbegor, and Mercedes Russell, each a member of the 2020 WNBA Championship team with Russell and Loyd also on the 2018 Championship team. Loyd, a two-time All-WNBA pick and four-time All-Star, has averaged at least 15.5 points per game in each of the last three season. Magbegor earned 2022 All-Defensive Team honors after ranking second in the league in blocks at 1.8 per game, adding 9.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Russell missed much of 2022 due to injury, but looks to return to her 2021 form where she averaged 7.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 61.7% from the field–the third-highest mark in franchise history (min. 100 FGA).

Ezi Magbegor (Photo by Full Image 360)

The 2023 Storm features several new faces, though a few will be familiar to many Storm fans. Seattle welcomes back guard Sami Whitcomb, who earned a pair of WNBA Championship rings with the Storm in 2018 and 2020. In addition, Seattle signed guard Kia Nurse, who has looked strong in camp while making her return to the WNBA after missing the 2022 season due to an ACL injury suffered 39 seconds in Game 4 of the 2021 WNBA Semifinals.

Seattle’s roster includes a trio of point guards led by veteran Yvonne Turner, who has played 13 seasons in Europe along with four seasons in the WNBA. Rookies Jade Melbourne and Ivana Dojkić will join Turner at the point. Melbourne, the Storm’s third-round pick in 2022, is the youngest player on a WNBA roster at 20 years old. She is coming off an impressive WNBL season which saw her earn second-team all-WNBL honors after leading the league with 6.1 assists per game. Dojkić, a member of the Croatian National Team and a EuroLeague veteran, will be making her WNBA debut with the Storm after nine seasons in Europe. She averaged 12.1 points and 3.8 assists per game for Italy’s top-flight team Bologna this past winter.

Arella Guirantes #11 (Photo by Full Image 360)

Other newcomers to the Storm roster include free agent signees Kaila Charles and Arella Guirantes along with 2023 draft picks Jordan Horston and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu. Charles, who enters her fourth year in the league, posted impressive numbers in Israel this offseason, leading the top division with 24.0 ppg. Guirantes had equally impressive numbers in Hungary’s top division, averaging 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Horston, the Storm’s 2023 first-round draft pick, will likely see time at forward, but can play the guard position as needed. Mendjiadeu, a 6-4 forward from Nkongsamba, Cameroon, selected with the Storm’s second-round pick, averaged 16.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a senior at the University of South Florida. She becomes the first player born in Cameroon to make a WNBA roster.

The Storm made its final roster move today, waiving center Theresa Plaisance. Plaisance, a 2022 WNBA Champion with the Las Vegas Aces, was originally drafted by the Tulsa Shock in the third round (No. 27 overall) of the 2014 WNBA Draft. The nine-year WNBA veteran played five-plus seasons with the franchise, which relocated to Dallas and became the Wings prior to the 2016 campaign. Dallas traded Plaisance to Connecticut on August 6, 2019, where she stayed until signing a free agent contract with the Washington Mystics in 2021.

The full Storm roster is below and can also be found at https://storm.wnba.com/roster/.

The Storm opens the season on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena, hosting the 2022 WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of last year’s semifinal battle. The game will be nationally televised on ABC with tip off slated for 12:00 p.m.

Jewell Loyd (Photo by Full Image 360)

Storm 360° Season Ticket Memberships, Mini Plans, and Group Experiences are all still available, along with single-game tickets to all 2022 Storm games. For more information, visit http://stormbasketball.com, or call 206-217-WNBA (9622).

2023 SEATTLE STORM ROSTER  
NO.NAMEPOSHTWTDOBEXPUS COLLEGECOUNTRY
0Kia NurseG6-0181Feb. 22, 19964ConnecticutCanada
3Kaila CharlesG/F6-1168Mar. 23, 19983MarylandUSA
6Jade MelbourneG5-11145Aug. 18, 2002RAustralia
11Arella GuirantesG5-11176Oct. 15, 19971RutgersPuerto Rico
12Dulcy Fankam MendjiadeuF/C6-3204July 26, 1999RSouth FloridaCameroon
13Ezi MagbegorC6-4181Aug. 13, 19993Australia
18Ivana DojkićG5-11154Dec. 24, 1997RCroatia
21Mercedes RussellC6-6195July 27, 19955TennesseeUSA
22Yvonne TurnerG5-10127Oct. 13, 19874NebraskaUSA
23Jordan HorstonG/F6-2165May 21, 2001RTennesseeUSA
24Jewell LoydG5-10165Oct. 5, 19938Notre DameUSA
32Sami WhitcombG5-10154July 20, 19886WashingtonAustralia

Head Coach: Noelle Quinn (UCLA) – 3rd                                     

Assistant Coach: Pokey Chatman (LSU)

Assistant Coach: Ebony Hoffman (USC)

Assistant Coach: Perry Huang (Fresno Pacific)

—— StormBasketball.com ——

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