Sparks facility gets closer to completion as team has topping out ceremony

LOS ANGELES — Very soon, the Sparks will have a facility they can call home.

The team unveiled their plans for a $150 million training facility last year. 

On Wednesday, the team had a topping out ceremony where they put the final beam on the building.

"We can talk a lot about, and of course, rightly so, how important it is for a facility for players to be able to perform, and to recover, and to prepare, more than just a new facility, but that it is a home," Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike said in her speech before the final beam was put on the building. "It represents top investment and everyday experience of Sparks players and an understanding of the resources required to maintain championship culture. 

"It's especially meaningful knowing that players have had a voice in shaping the walls of their future home," Ogwumike continued. "Having the opportunity to provide perspective and engage in conversations that influence the process makes the facility feel like something created with the players and not just for the players. Something that we've been fighting for for many years as reflected in the last decade as these players were able to transformationally get done. So when we finally walk into this completed space, we will be able to see and feel ourselves reflected all over this facility. It's a permanent home that creates a sense of identity and belonging."

The players and coaches were, of course, in attendance. 

"When you're in women's sports, so many teams don't own their buildings that they play in," Sparks President Stacy Johns said. "They actually don't also own their practice facility. So to be able to have a home that is ours that we control, we make all the rules. We decide how we use it. We decide when we use it. It's a big deal."

Suffice to say, it's been a long time coming for the Sparks. They looked behind in that department as teams like the Aces, Storm, and the Mercury got their own facilities.

"I'm even grateful just to be a part of the process, you know, especially having player input is so incredibly important and a lot of times," Ogwumike said. "When investment is made in women's sports, sometimes, we don't necessarily get to be a part of the process. But they've made us a part of the process the whole way. And I think that shows the true sustainability of investment over a long period of time."

There was even a bit of a tour. Of course, at the moment, it's all skeletal. 

But as mentioned in the initial press release, there will be amenities such as two WNBA regulation courts, weight/training room, hydrotherapy and spa suites, spa pool for recovery, and wellness rooms. The natural sunlight was mentioned a few times as something that could bring the outdoors in. And there was even a little room for media to work in!

Ogwumike was asked if this franchise was on the right track.

"With the facility, I feel like there's no way to be on the wrong track," Ogwumike said succinctly.

Finally, the Los Angeles Sparks get a building of their own that has been long overdue. And the team can get better and hone their craft without others telling them when they can do it.

The facility is expected to be finished before the 2027 season starts.