The Story of the Los Angeles Sparks
From the Set WNBA: A History of Women's Hoops
Introduce young basketball fans to the extraordinary history of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks with a photo-laden narrative of the team's greatest successes. Beginning with the franchise's early years, readers get the highlights of the team's superstars and memorable seasons as well as its playoff runs and three championship titles. A colorful layout drives home the action, and sidebars capture unforgettable moments and players, such as Lisa Leslie and Nneka Ogwumike. Middle grade sports fans experience their favorite professional women's basketball teams like never before in this title from the Creative Sports series. Includes a table of contents and index.
WNBA: A History of Women's Hoops - School Library Journal
Women ballers get their due in this thorough series on the history of WNBA franchises. Each team gets a biographical treatment, from inception to current day. Some teams, like the Los Angeles Sparks, started strong thanks to talented players before hitting rough patches. Other teams, like the Minnesota Lynx, were used to losses when the league began, but developed a stacked roster over time. Women athletes as activists is a common thread throughout the series. For example, the Atlanta Dream used their voices to encourage voters to oppose their team’s co-owner, Kelly Loeffler, in her Senate run due to her anti-Black Lives Matter stance. After Loeffler’s loss, the team was able to successfully lobby for her removal as co-owner. Along with focused, engaging writing, each book also includes bios of big-name stars for a well-rounded overview. VERDICT You could cherry pick for your local team if your budget is tight, but the whole set is worthy of first purchase.