On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
On Tuesday, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children at Marlborough High, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.” (Photo courtesy of Davy Greenberg, L.A. Sparks)
LOS ANGELES — Combs Gymnasium sits near the north corner of Marlborough School, an all-girls prep school in Hancock Park. Playing inside its walls is the Marlborough basketball team, which in the early 2000s won six consecutive CIF Southern Section championships and has grown accustomed to high-level basketball.
On Tuesday, however, a different team took the court: the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks, who were on their All-Star break, hosted a traveling “practice” for 220 children, in what Sparks coach Brian Agler called a “great opportunity” for his team to continue growing the WNBA through a “grassroots approach.”
“There’s not as many role models in athletics for girls or young women as there are for guys,” Agler said. “Bringing our team here gives us a chance to get to meet people in the community, inspire some of the younger girls, which I think is really important.”
While Agler and the Sparks are no strangers to community service, the organization led by President and COO Christine Simmons has attempted to find more creative ways to expand its reach in an effort both to help the community and to increase exposure to the Sparks and the WNBA as a whole.
Simmons discovered the opportunity to continue this goal through a Marlborough student, 10th grader Kumi Tamura, a #WeAreGirls ambassador whose family has season tickets to Sparks games.
Tamura, a point guard at Marlborough, saw an opportunity to bring the Sparks to her campus for a practice to help younger women and aspiring athletes see successful WNBA players up close.
“The Sparks are all about empowering women,” Tamura said. “And since Marlborough is an all-girls school, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the girls to hear from a sports side where women aren’t really heard of in this world. I thought that would be a great idea to incorporate for people like me and others who are too shy to say anything.”
In order to convince the Sparks to visit Marlborough – during the team’s season no less – Tamura sat down with Simmons, and gave the COO a “full-fledged” presentation detailing her vision for the “practice.”
It was an opportunity that Simmons and the Sparks could not pass up, as Simmons noted that she was “blown away” by Tamura’s delivery.
The event, which cost $30 per person to attend, gave those who attend Sparks games frequently and those who have never seen the Sparks play an opportunity to interact with the players, as the guests were treated to basketball drills and an autograph session.
“It means a lot, you see girls that are picking up the basketball earlier and earlier,” Candace Parker said. “For me, that says a lot about where the state of women’s basketball is. Obviously, we’re very passionate about being out in the community and helping those that are in need. I think it really speaks volumes to us as an organization and us as a team.”
While the event came in the middle of a much-needed break in the grind of the schedule, Agler and his staff still took time away from their preparation for Thursday’s showdown with the rival Minnesota Lynx to take several pictures with fans, as a constant smile persisted on the veteran coach’s face.
And after his team’s resounding 79-57 win against the Lynx on Thursday, perhaps the “practice” was the boost the Sparks needed going into the playoff push.
