Brittney Sykes was thrilled to simply just have the day off. A tranquil appointment for the Sparks guard to get hair done, even so, went sideways when her telephone started off blowing up with texts from pals inquiring whether or not reports had been correct.
Without a doubt, Derek Fisher, her head coach of the past 3 seasons, was out.
The information of Fisher’s dismissal stunned Sparks gamers and assistants, but with two-thirds of the period still left, the talented roster Fisher assembled is continue to chasing his eyesight of a title, even if there’s a new male major the charge.
“Across the board every person desires to compete for the championship,” Sykes reported Wednesday immediately after the Sparks’ 1st observe underneath interim head coach Fred Williams.
Williams, who came to L.A. as an assistant less than Fisher in 2018, will direct the Sparks for the relaxation of the period although the business queries for Fisher’s long lasting replacement — or replacements — at head mentor and normal supervisor.
It won’t be an simple introduction to the major function for Williams as the Sparks (5-7) experience the WNBA-top Las Vegas Aces (10-2) at dwelling Saturday at 6 p.m.
Here’s what to know about the instant and prolonged-expression long run of the Sparks after the coaching improve:
Who is Fred Williams?
Fred Williams coaches for the duration of a preseason WNBA video game between the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Solar on May well 8, 2018, in Uncasville, Conn.
(Jessica Hill / Affiliated Press)
Williams is a gentleman of handful of words and phrases but a extended resumé.
The 65-yr-old was the women’s head coach at USC in 1995-97 before moving to the experienced ranks. His WNBA head coaching stops contain the Utah Starzz, Atlanta Aspiration and Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings. He coached Dawn Staley as an assistant with the Charlotte Sting, led the Aspiration to the WNBA Finals in 2013 and joked Wednesday that his practically 40 decades of coaching experience took up two chairs on the bench.
“We have somebody who understands the game in and out, who’s been all over,” Sykes stated. “There’s no lousy blood on his title.”
Williams’ experience with the team aided simplicity the transition this week. He claimed he arrived at out to every single participant Tuesday soon after the alter was built community. When they collected Wednesday at observe in Torrance, he shared his a few most crucial policies: be on time, perform tough and have enjoyable.
“You crack those regulations,” Williams explained with a slight smile, “you’re in difficulty.”
What will Williams do with the workforce?
If the remaining minutes of practice Wednesday are any indication of what’s to come, Williams wants to press the tempo. He ran gamers by a changeover drill that doubled as conditioning, a frenetic up-and-down session that provided 50 %-court docket outlet passes to assistants waiting around at midcourt, players swiftly stealing the ball back and pushing the offense ahead to rating again.
Sykes, continue to catching her breath from practice, referred to as the drill “death.”
The longest-tenured Sparks player Nneka Ogwumike, who ran the drill during Williams’ initially calendar year with the Sparks, stated it is intended to emphasize reaction, interaction and listening. It appeared excellent for a workforce battling to uncover its chemistry.
Williams confident players they’ll be a “well-oiled machine” in two weeks, Sykes said. Williams admitted the upcoming couple online games could be bumpy as he tinkers with the lineup, specially at the position guard and post positions. But he reported with the tempo he designs to participate in, “everybody will have a piece of the pie and be joyful with minutes.”
Williams has a very long romance with star heart Liz Cambage, who cited Williams as 1 of the causes she signed with the crew this season just after a 2018 pinkie promise. Their record with each other could enable unlock far more steady generation from Cambage, who has averaged 15.3 factors and 6.1 rebounds but notched only a single double-double in the 1st 12 game titles.
Exactly where do the Sparks stand?
Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker, correct, defends towards Sparks heart Liz Cambage throughout the 2nd 50 % on Might 6 in Chicago.
(Kamil Krzaczynski / Linked Push)
One-third of the way by means of the normal year, the Sparks are clinging to the eighth location in the WNBA standings. The good news is that the most hard part is around: eight of their very first 11 games ended up on the highway. They have only a person recreation in the up coming 10 days, offering Williams a lot of exercise time to implement his vision.
When a coaching problem could take a look at the Sparks’ locker place, Ogwumike explained players keep on being unified the exact way they’ve trapped with each other for the duration of the early season struggles.
“When these styles of variations materialize, we simply cannot prevent,” Ogwumike said. “Somebody’s received to engage in the online games, you know? Someone’s gotta coach. That’s our occupation, that’s our duty and we have to uphold that.”
Who could be a prospect for the everlasting work?
De facto defensive coordinator Latricia Trammell could be thanks for her to start with WNBA head coaching career. Teams this kind of as the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty expressed desire in Trammell last season, and she previously led Oklahoma Metropolis College to back again-to-back NAIA nationwide championships and coached at Division II Western Point out in Colorado.
Trammell’s defense was a person of the finest elements of Fisher’s tenure. Her contagious enthusiasm aided transform a 34-year-aged Candace Parker into the defensive player of the calendar year in 2020, and guided guard Brittney Sykes’ transformation into a person of the league’s most effective perimeter defenders. Sykes, who was named first-team all-protection very last 12 months, reported she would like to see Trammell get a head-coaching possibility.
“If just one day LT gets a head-mentor occupation, and I have a kid, I want my kid to get coached by LT,” Sykes claimed. “I would not brain looking at Mentor T anywhere as a head coach. It doesn’t matter as extended as they are managing her right.”
What about Williams sticking all around extended-expression?
Williams was not even supposed to be with the staff through this period. Now he’s in charge.
Williams recognized a work as Auburn’s affiliate head coach past month with the intention that he would changeover to his new purpose in July but Fisher individually informed Williams he needed the assistant to consider around for the rest of the period. Williams spoke with Auburn head mentor Johnnie Harris, who is sympathetic to the Sparks’ scenario.
“Hey, you gotta just take treatment of the young females listed here and pull them by way of this,” Williams claimed of his discussion with Harris. “And we can wait and see what comes about and figure out at the finish of the year what wants to be done.”
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