If he is not fired, I will leave the Los Angeles Sparks head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his player.
Derek Fisher is leaving his positions as general manager and head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Sparks declared on Tuesday that they were cutting ties with Fisher following a 5-7 start to his fourth season as head coach.
“The Sparks and I have mutually agreed to part ways as I shift my focus back to pursuing other opportunities and private endeavors,” Fisher said in a news release.
The remainder of the 2022 WNBA season will see Sparks assistant coach Fred Williams act as temporary head coach.
“Managing Partner Eric Holoman wants to thank Derek for his efforts and contributions to the Sparks franchise on behalf of our ownership group,” Holoman added. “We hope all of his future endeavors go well. Fred Williams has my highest faith in him to take over as interim head coach. He has a ton of experience coaching WNBA teams.
LOS ANGELES: Liz Cambage is thrilled to play for the Sparks at last
December 2018 saw Fisher appointed Sparks head coach; in December 2021, he was appointed general manager of the team. Fisher guided the Sparks to a 54-46 regular season record and two playoff appearances (in which they finished 1-4).
After a dismal 5-7 start to the season, Derek Fisher and the Sparks amicably decided to part ways, the organization said on Tuesday, freeing him of his head coach and general manager responsibilities. Fisher finishes off his less than four-year career with a 54-46 overall record and a 1-4 postseason record.
For the balance of the season, assistant coach Fred Williams will act as head coach. Williams took a position as the associate head coach of the Auburn women’s basketball team last month, and he was supposed to begin in mid-summer.
Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Sparks take on the Las Vegas Aces.
“The Sparks and General Manager/Head Coach Derek Fisher have agreed to part ways after a thorough evaluation of the state of our team,” managing partner Eric Holoman stated in a team statement. Derek has made many contributions to the Sparks brand, and I would want to thank him on behalf of our ownership group. We hope all of his future endeavors go well. Fred Williams has my whole trust in him to take over as interim head coach and offer a plethora of WNBA team leadership expertise.
As general manager, Fisher put together a talented squad in an attempt to turn around the team’s first postseason absence since 2011. With 11-year-old veteran player Nneka Ogwumike and new talents center Liz Cambage and point guard Jordin Canada, the Sparks were one of the most fascinating teams in the league, especially after opening the season with back-to-back road victories.
The team’s tough early-season schedule added to the difficulty of the five-game losing run that swiftly followed the promising start. The Sparks never missed more than two days in a row without a game in May, and they played eight of their first eleven games away. Fisher found comfort in the fact that four of the club’s first six losses were by a combined 13 points and that things might still turn around, even though the hectic schedule prevented the team from using crucial practice time to develop its chemistry with eight new players.
On Sunday, following their first prolonged practice of the season, the Sparks fell to the Phoenix Mercury 81-74.
Sparks CEO Vanessa Shay.
SPARKS
