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2001 Los Angeles Sparks season

{{Short description|Women's basketball season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{WNBA season

| team = Los Angeles Sparks

| year = 2001

| attendance = 9,278

| wins = 28

| losses = 4

| conf = Western

| conf_place = 1st

| coach = Michael Cooper

| arena = Staples Center

| playoffs = Won WNBA Finals

| television = KCOP (UPN 13)
Fox Sports Net West

}}

The 2001 WNBA season was the fifth season for the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks won their first WNBA Finals.

Transactions

=WNBA draft=

{{see also|2001 WNBA draft}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:60em"

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="2%" | Round

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="5%" | Pick

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="10%" | Player

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="10%" | Nationality

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="10%" | School/Team/Country

1

| 16

| Camille Cooper

| {{USA}}

| Purdue

2

|32

|Nicole Levandusky

|{{USA}}

|Xavier

3

|48

|Kelley Siemon

|{{USA}}

|Notre Dame

4

|64

|Beth Record

|{{USA}}

|Syracuse

=Transactions=

class="wikitable" style="width:80%; text-align: center;"

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width=125" |Date

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" colspan="2" |Transaction

April 20, 2001

| Drafted Camille Cooper, Nicole Levandusky, Kelley Siemon and Beth Record in the 2001 WNBA Draft{{Cite web |title=2001 Indiana Fever Transactions |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/teams/IND/2001_transactions.html |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}

April 30, 2001

|Signed Kiesha Brown and Wendi Willits

May 9, 2001

|Waived Beth Record

May 18, 2001

|Waived E.C. Hill, Kiesha Brown and Paige Sauer

May 27, 2001

|Suspended contract of Kelley Siemon

June 5, 2001

|Traded Camille Cooper to the New York Liberty in exchange for a 2002 2nd Round Pick

Roster

{{sports roster

| team=Los Angeles Sparks

| season = 2001

| style = WNBA

| players =

{{sports roster/entry | num = 0 | first = Latasha | last = Byears | pos = G/F | ft = 5 | in = 11 | lbs = 206 | DOB = 1973-08-12 | yrs = 4 | college = DePaul | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 21 | first = Tamecka | last = Dixon | pos = G | ft = 5 | in = 9 | lbs = 148 | DOB = 1975-12-14 | yrs = 4 | college = Kansas | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 5 | first = Ukari | last = Figgs | pos = G | ft = 5 | in = 9 | lbs = 142 | DOB = 1977-03-31 | yrs = 2 | college = Purdue | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 17 | first = Vedrana | last = Grgin-Fonseca | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1| lbs = 160 | DOB = 1975-01-13 | yrs = 1 | nat = SFR Yugoslavia}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 9 | first = Lisa | last = Leslie | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 170 | DOB = 1972-07-07 | yrs = 4 | college = USC | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 40 | first = Nicole | last = Levandusky | pos = G | ft = 5 | in = 8 | DOB = 1979-05-17 | yrs = R | college = Xavier | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 4 | first = Mwadi | last = Mabika | pos = G | ft = 5 | in = 11 | lbs = 165| DOB = 1976-07-27 | yrs = 4 | nat = Zaire}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 51 | first = Rhonda | last = Mapp | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 2 | lbs = 190 | DOB = 1969-10-13 | yrs = 4 | college = NC State | nat=USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 10 | first = Nicky | last = McCrimmon | pos = G | ft = 5 | in = 8 | lbs = 125 | DOB = 1972-03-22 | yrs = 1 | college = USC | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 8 | first = DeLisha | last = Milton-Jones | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | DOB = 1974-09-11 | yrs = 2 | college = Florida | nat = USA}}

{{sports roster/entry | num = 20 | first = Wendi | last = Willits | pos = G | ft = 5 | in = 7 | DOB = 1978-11-18 | yrs = R | college = Arkansas | nat = USA}}

| head_coach =

{{sports roster/entry|nat=USA| first = Michael | last = Cooper| college = New Mexico}}

| asst_coach =

{{sports roster/entry|nat=USA| first = Glenn | last = McDonald|college=}}

}}

Schedule

= Regular season =

{{WNBA game log start|Los Angeles Sparks|end_year=2001|note=
Total: 28–4 (Home: 16–0; Road: 12–4)}}

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|May|first=yes

| home_wins = 0

| home_losses = 0

| road_wins = 1

| road_losses = 0

}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 1

| May 28

| @ Houston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200105280HOU.html W 66–63]

| Byears
Leslie (15)

| Latasha Byears (10)

| Lisa Leslie (4)

| Compaq Center

| 1–0

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|June

| home_wins = 4

| home_losses = 0

| road_wins = 5

| road_losses = 3

}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 2

| June 1

| @ Orlando

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106010ORL.html W 68–62]

| Tamecka Dixon (21)

| Lisa Leslie (12)

| Mwadi Mabika (8)

| TD Waterhouse Centre

| 2–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 3

| June 2

| @ Charlotte

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106020CHA.html W 76–67]

| Lisa Leslie (20)

| Lisa Leslie (9)

| Tamecka Dixon (4)

| Charlotte Coliseum

| 3–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 4

| June 5

| Cleveland

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106050LAS.html W 58–50]

| Lisa Leslie (23)

| Lisa Leslie (8)

| Tamecka Dixon (6)

| Staples Center

| 4–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 5

| June 9

| @ Minnesota

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106090MIN.html W 62–60]

| Lisa Leslie (17)

| Lisa Leslie (16)

| Dixon
Mabika (4)

| Target Center

| 5–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 6

| June 14

| Orlando

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106140LAS.html W 84–68]

| Tamecka Dixon (18)

| DeLisha Milton-Jones (7)

| Figgs
Mabika (5)

| Staples Center

| 6–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 7

| June 16

| @ Seattle

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106160SEA.html W 73–60]

| Lisa Leslie (22)

| Lisa Leslie (11)

| Dixon
McCrimmon (6)

| KeyArena

| 7–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 8

| June 17

| Portland

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106170LAS.html W 90–75]

| Dixon
Leslie (13)

| Mwadi Mabika (9)

| Figgs
Milton-Jones (4)

| Staples Center

| 8–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 9

| June 19

| Charlotte

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106190LAS.html W 73–69]

| Lisa Leslie (19)

| Lisa Leslie (13)

| Dixon
Figgs (5)

| Staples Center

| 9–0

|- style="background:#fcc;"

| 10

| June 21

| @ Houston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106210HOU.html L 65–69]

| Lisa Leslie (17)

| Lisa Leslie (14)

| Tamecka Dixon (8)

| Compaq Center

| 9–1

|- style="background:#fcc;"

| 11

| June 22

| @ Cleveland

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106220CLE.html L 70–74]

| Lisa Leslie (21)

| Byears
Dixon
Leslie
Milton-Jones (4)

| DeLisha Milton-Jones (3)

| Gund Arena

| 9–2

|- style="background:#fcc;"

| 12

| June 24

| @ New York

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106240NYL.html L 69–82]

| Lisa Leslie (26)

| Lisa Leslie (11)

| Dixon
Leslie
Mabika
McCrimmon
Milton-Jones (2)

| Madison Square Garden

| 9–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 13

| June 26

| @ Detroit

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200106260DET.html W 98–89 (OT)]

| Lisa Leslie (28)

| Lisa Leslie (11)

| Lisa Leslie (3)

| The Palace of Auburn Hills

| 10–3

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|July

| home_wins = 7

| home_losses = 0

| road_wins = 5

| road_losses = 0

}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 14

| July 1

| Miami

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107010LAS.html W 86–60]

| DeLisha Milton-Jones (19)

| Latasha Byears (11)

| Tamecka Dixon (6)

| Staples Center

| 11–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 15

| July 3

| Utah

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107030LAS.html W 84–71]

| Lisa Leslie (18)

| Latasha Byears (7)

| Tamecka Dixon (7)

| Staples Center

| 12–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 16

| July 5

| Phoenix

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107050LAS.html W 73–50]

| Lisa Leslie (23)

| Lisa Leslie (15)

| Figgs
Leslie (5)

| Staples Center

| 13–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 17

| July 8

| Minnesota

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107080LAS.html W 100–95 (OT)]

| Lisa Leslie (32)

| Lisa Leslie (13)

| Ukari Figgs (9)

| Staples Center

| 14–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 18

| July 10

| @ Utah

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107100UTA.html W 79–67]

| Mwadi Mabika (19)

| Lisa Leslie (8)

| Lisa Leslie (5)

| Delta Center

| 15–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 19

| July 11

| @ Phoenix

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107110PHO.html W 75–61]

| Ukari Figgs (16)

| DeLisha Milton-Jones (11)

| Ukari Figgs (6)

| America West Arena

| 16–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 20

| July 14

| @ Washington

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107140WAS.html W 62–50]

| Lisa Leslie (18)

| Lisa Leslie (12)

| Ukari Figgs (8)

| MCI Center

| 17–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 21

| July 19

| @ Sacramento

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107190SAC.html W 83–68]

| Lisa Leslie (23)

| Lisa Leslie (14)

| Dixon
Figgs
Leslie
McCrimmon (4)

| ARCO Arena

| 18–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 22

| July 21

| Seattle

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107210LAS.html W 85–79]

| Lisa Leslie (19)

| DeLisha Milton-Jones (7)

| Tamecka Dixon (7)

| Staples Center

| 19–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 23

| July 25

| Sacramento

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107250LAS.html W 80–78]

| Mwadi Mabika (18)

| Latasha Byears (16)

| Ukari Figgs (8)

| Staples Center

| 20–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 24

| July 28

| @ Portland

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107280POR.html W 88–83]

| Lisa Leslie (31)

| Lisa Leslie (11)

| Mwadi Mabika (6)

| Rose Garden

| 21–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 25

| July 28

| Minnesota

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200107300LAS.html W 78–69]

| Lisa Leslie (28)

| Lisa Leslie (8)

| Ukari Figgs (5)

| Staples Center

| 22–3

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|August

| home_wins = 5

| home_losses = 0

| road_wins = 1

| road_losses = 1

}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 26

| August 2

| Sacramento

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108020LAS.html W 67–62]

| Lisa Leslie (23)

| Leslie
Mabika (9)

| Mwadi Mabika (6)

| Staples Center

| 23–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 27

| August 4

| Seattle

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108040LAS.html W 79–60]

| Lisa Leslie (22)

| Lisa Leslie (13)

| Ukari Figgs (9)

| Staples Center

| 24–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 28

| August 6

| Indiana

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108040UTA.html W 81–66]

| Lisa Leslie (23)

| Lisa Leslie (13)

| Leslie
McCrimmon (7)

| Staples Center

| 25–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 29

| August 8

| Phoenix

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108080LAS.html W 79–67]

| Lisa Leslie (24)

| Byears
Leslie
Mabika (6)

| Mwadi Mabika (8)

| Staples Center

| 26–3

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 30

| August 11

| Houston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108110LAS.html W 65–54]

| Mwadi Mabika (22)

| Latasha Byears (17)

| Ukari Figgs (6)

| Staples Center

| 27–3

|- style="background:#fcc;"

| 31

| August 13

| @ Utah

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108130UTA.html L 78–80 (OT)]

| Tamecka Dixon (24)

| Lisa Leslie (10)

| Tamecka Dixon (6)

| Delta Center

| 27–4

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 32

| August 14

| @ Portland

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108140POR.html W 67–58]

| Mwadi Mabika (21)

| Lisa Leslie (10)

| Nicky McCrimmon (5)

| Rose Garden

| 28–4

{{WNBA game log end|las|end_year=2001}}

=Playoffs=

{{WNBA game log start|Los Angeles Sparks|playoffs=yes|end_year=2001}}

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|First round vs. Houston Comets
Won Series: 2–0|playoffs=yes|first=yes|show=no}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 1

| August 18

| @ Houston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108180HOU.html W 64–59]

| Lisa Leslie (19)

| Lisa Leslie (11)

| Ukari Figgs (4)

| Compaq Center

| 1–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 2

| August 20

| Houston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108200LAS.html W 70–58]

| Lisa Leslie (28)

| Lisa Leslie (18)

| Ukari Figgs (9)

| Staples Center

| 2–0

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|Conference Finals vs. Sacramento Monarchs
Won Series: 2–1|playoffs=yes|show=no}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 1

| August 25

| @ Sacramento

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108240SAC.html W 74–73]

| Mabika
Milton-Jones (15)

| Lisa Leslie (10)

| Dixon
Figgs (6)

| ARCO Arena

| 1–0

|- style="background:#fcc;"

| 2

| August 26

| Sacramento

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108260LAS.html L 60–80]

| Lisa Leslie (13)

| Mwadi Mabika (11)

| Ukari Figgs (6)

| Staples Center

| 1–1

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 3

| August 27

| Sacramento

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108270LAS.html W 93–62]

| Lisa Leslie (35)

| Lisa Leslie (16)

| Ukari Figgs (10)

| Staples Center

| 2–1

{{WNBA game log section|Los Angeles Sparks|Championship vs. Charlotte Sting
Won Series: 2–0|playoffs=yes|show=no}}

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 1

| August 30

| @ Charlotte

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200108300CHA.html W 75–66]

| Lisa Leslie (24)

| Leslie
Milton-Jones (8)

| DeLisha Milton-Jones (5)

| Charlotte Coliseum

| 1–0

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"

| 2

| September 1

| Charlotte

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/200109010LAS.html W 82–54]

| Lisa Leslie (24)

| Lisa Leslie (13)

| Tamecka Dixon (7)

| Staples Center

| 2–0

{{WNBA game log end|LAS|playoffs=yes|end_year=2001}}

=Season standings=

{{2001 WNBA Western Conference standings|team=LAS}}

Statistics

{{WNBA roster statistics legend}}

=Regular Season=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | Player

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | GP

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | GS

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | MPG

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | FG%

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | 3P%

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | FT%

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | RPG

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="5%" | APG

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | SPG

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | BPG

! style="{{WNBA color cell|Los Angeles Sparks}}" width="6%" | PPG

Lisa Leslie

| 31

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 31

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 33.3

| .473

| .367

| .736

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 9.6

| 2.4

| 1.1

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 2.3

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 19.5

Tamecka Dixon

| 29

| 29

| 31.9

| .417

| .176

| .791

| 2.9

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 3.9

| 0.9

| 0.1

| 11.7

Mwadi Mabika

| 28

| 24

| 29.6

| .387

| .382

| .861

| 4.6

| 3.1

| 1.4

| 0.4

| 11.2

DeLisha Milton-Jones

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 32

| 27

| 29.3

| .453

| .343

| .794

| 5.3

| 2.1

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 1.5

| 0.9

| 10.3

Ukari Figgs

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 32

| 29

| 29.1

| .425

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| .462

| .810

| 3.1

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 3.9

| 1.3

| 0.1

| 8.0

Latasha Byears

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 32

| 13

| 23.1

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| .602

| .333

| .577

| 5.7

| 0.9

| 1.3

| 0.4

| 9.3

Rhonda Mapp

| 30

| 0

| 13.2

| .415

| .000

| .750

| 2.6

| 0.5

| 0.5

| 0.2

| 4.2

Nicky McCrimmon

| 28

| 0

| 12.5

| .444

| .417

| .429

| 0.4

| 2.3

| 0.8

| 0.0

| 2.3

Vedrana Grgin-Fonseca

| 24

| 7

| 9.3

| .431

| .316

| .643

| 1.5

| 0.5

| 0.2

| 0.0

| 3.0

Nicole Levandusky

| 13

| 0

| 5.2

| .318

| .294

| style="background:#D3D3D3;"| 1.000

| 0.7

| 0.5

| 0.4

| 0.1

| 1.5

Wendi Willits

| 13

| 0

| 3.6

| .300

| .154

| .750

| 0.4

| 0.2

| 0.1

| 0.0

| 1.3


‡Waived/Released during the season


†Traded during the season


≠Acquired during the season

Awards and honors

References

{{reflist}}

{{Los Angeles Sparks}}

{{Los Angeles Sparks 2001 WNBA champions}}

{{2001 WNBA season by team}}

Category:Los Angeles Sparks seasons

Los Angeles

Category:Women's National Basketball Association championship seasons

Category:Western Conference (WNBA) championship seasons

Los Angeles Sparks