1997 Los Angeles Sparks season

The 1997 WNBA season was the first season for the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks finished in second place in the Western Division with a record of 14 wins and 14 losses.

Regular season

 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 1
 * June 21
 * New York
 * L 57–67
 * Lisa Leslie (16)
 * Lisa Leslie (14)
 * Jamila Wideman (6)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 0–1
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 2
 * June 23
 * @ Utah
 * L 89–102
 * Lisa Leslie (22)
 * Lisa Leslie (10)
 * Jamila Wideman (7)
 * Delta Center
 * 0–2
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 3
 * June 25
 * Charlotte
 * W 74–54
 * Lisa Leslie (19)
 * Leslie Toler (5)
 * Penny Toler (7)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 1–2
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 4
 * June 27
 * Sacramento
 * W 102–92
 * Zheng Haixia (28)
 * Zheng Haixia (10)
 * Toler Wideman (7)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 2–2
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 5
 * June 30
 * @ Houston
 * L 66–71 (OT)
 * Lisa Leslie (21)
 * Lisa Leslie (16)
 * Penny Toler (5)
 * The Summit
 * 2–3


 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 6
 * July 2
 * @ Cleveland
 * W 74–62
 * Lisa Leslie (19)
 * Lisa Leslie (7)
 * Jamila Wideman (6)
 * Gund Arena
 * 3–3
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 7
 * July 5
 * @ Charlotte
 * L 66–78
 * Lisa Leslie (16)
 * Leslie Toler (7)
 * Jamila Wideman (6)
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 3–4
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 8
 * July 7
 * Cleveland
 * L 70–81
 * Lisa Leslie (22)
 * Lisa Leslie (9)
 * Jamila Wideman (8)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 3–5
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 9
 * July 11
 * Utah
 * W 75–68
 * Linda Burgess (20)
 * Burge Burgess (9)
 * Leslie Toler (6)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 4–5
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 10
 * July 13
 * Phoenix
 * L 56–57
 * Linda Burgess (12)
 * Heidi Burge (11)
 * Burge Charles Colleton Dixon Toler (2)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 4–6
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 11
 * July 15
 * @ Sacramento
 * L 73–78
 * Lisa Leslie (17)
 * Burgess Leslie (5)
 * Penny Toler (10)
 * ARCO Arena
 * 4–7
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 12
 * July 16
 * Houston
 * W 77–52
 * Zheng Haixia (15)
 * Lisa Leslie (10)
 * Lisa Leslie (5)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 5–7
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 13
 * July 19
 * @ New York
 * L 57–69
 * Penny Toler (14)
 * Lisa Leslie (7)
 * Jamila Wideman (4)
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 5–8
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 14
 * July 21
 * @ Charlotte
 * L 64–75
 * Lisa Leslie (18)
 * Penny Toler (8)
 * Leslie Toler (4)
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 5–9
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 15
 * July 23
 * Cleveland
 * L 85–89
 * Lisa Leslie (28)
 * Lisa Leslie (13)
 * Jamila Wideman (7)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 5–10
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 16
 * July 25
 * @ Phoenix
 * W 86–83
 * Lisa Leslie (17)
 * Lisa Leslie (8)
 * Toler Wideman (4)
 * America West Arena
 * 6–10
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 17
 * July 27
 * @ Sacramento
 * W 84–62
 * Tamecka Dixon (20)
 * Lisa Leslie (9)
 * Penny Toler (9)
 * ARCO Arena
 * 7–10
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 18
 * July 30
 * Utah
 * W 91–69
 * Lisa Leslie (23)
 * Lisa Leslie (11)
 * Lisa Leslie (7)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 8–10


 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 19
 * August 1
 * Houston
 * L 57–81
 * Penny Toler (17)
 * Lisa Leslie (6)
 * Penny Toler (3)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 8–11
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 20
 * August 3
 * Charlotte
 * L 70–77
 * Penny Toler (19)
 * Lisa Leslie (10)
 * Penny Toler (7)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 8–12
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 21
 * August 5
 * @ New York
 * W 67–50
 * Dixon Toler (16)
 * Lisa Leslie (14)
 * Penny Toler (3)
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 9–12
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 22
 * August 7
 * @ Cleveland
 * W 87–84
 * Tamecka Dixon (23)
 * Lisa Leslie (14)
 * Lisa Leslie (5)
 * Gund Arena
 * 10–12
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 23
 * August 9
 * @ Houston
 * L 71–72
 * Tamecka Dixon (21)
 * Zheng Haixia (7)
 * Penny Toler (4)
 * The Summit
 * 10–13
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 24
 * August 16
 * @ Utah
 * W 74–64
 * Lisa Leslie (23)
 * Lisa Leslie (12)
 * Penny Toler (8)
 * Delta Center
 * 11–13
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 25
 * August 18
 * Phoenix
 * W 75–66
 * Lisa Leslie (26)
 * Lisa Leslie (15)
 * Penny Toler (8)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 12–13
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 26
 * August 20
 * New York
 * W 78–76
 * Penny Toler (17)
 * Zheng Haixia (9)
 * Penny Toler (6)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 13–13
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 27
 * August 22
 * Sacramento
 * W 88–77
 * Zheng Haixia (21)
 * Lisa Leslie (12)
 * Penny Toler (8)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 14–13
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 28
 * August 24
 * @ Phoenix
 * L 68–73
 * Tamecka Dixon (25)
 * Lisa Leslie (14)
 * Penny Toler (4)
 * America West Arena
 * 14–14

Regular Season
‡Waived/Released during the season

†Traded during the season

≠Acquired during the season


 * Tamecka Dixon was tied for tenth in the WNBA in steals with 49.
 * Tamecka Dixon ranked tenth in the WNBA in Field Goal Percentage (.456)
 * Lisa Leslie ranked third in the WNBA in points with 445 points.
 * Lisa Leslie ranked third in the WNBA in points per game with 15.9
 * Lisa Leslie ranked fifth in the WNBA in field goals with 160.
 * Lisa Leslie ranked first in the WNBA in total rebounds with 266.
 * Lisa Leslie ranked second in the WNBA in blocks with 59.
 * Penny Toler ranked tenth in the WNBA in points with 368 points.
 * Penny Toler ranked eighth in the WNBA in field goals with 144.
 * Penny Toler ranked tenth in the WNBA in points per game with 13.1
 * Penny Toler ranked sixth in the WNBA in Free Throw Pct with .839
 * Penny Toler ranked second in the WNBA in assists with 143.
 * Jamila Wideman ranked seventh in the WNBA in assists with 103.
 * Haixia Zheng ranked ninth in the WNBA in blocks with 20.

Awards and honors

 * Lisa Leslie, Center, All WNBA First Team
 * Lisa Leslie: Led WNBA, Defensive Rebounds, 203
 * Lisa Leslie: Led WNBA, Total Rebounds, 266
 * Lisa Leslie: Led WNBA, Rebounds per game, 9.5
 * Lisa Leslie ranked second in the WNBA with 2.1 blocks per game.
 * Lisa Leslie ranked third in the WNBA with 113 Free Throws.
 * Haixia Zheng, WNBA Peak Performer
 * Haixia Zheng, Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
 * Haixia Zheng: Led WNBA, Field Goal Percentage, .618