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A day after general manager Raegan Pebley was fired, the Sparks were in Atlanta and seemingly still focused on trying to reach the playoffs this year.
The suggestion that Pebleys removal was a sign that the team is performing poorly didnt sit well with coach Lynne Roberts.
I dont think we underachieved last year and this year is still going, Roberts said in Atlanta on Monday before the teams loss to the Dream.
For where we want to get, thats not where we want to be, but we tripled our win total in my first year thats not underachieving.
We havent hit our stride, weve been injured all year.
Hopefully we get [Kelsey Plum] and Cam [Brink] back.
Our system is designed around KP.
Im not close to thinking we are underachieving.
Pebley and the rest of the Sparks organization signaled a clear intention to compete this season, signing veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler in the offseason, signing Dearica Hamby to a three-year deal and trading for Ariel Atkins.
They are still in the playoff race midway through the season, but have the second-worst defensive rating in the WNBA and sit a game below the postseason cutoff line.
They have competed without Plum, their top scorer, for 12 games and former No.
2 overall pick Brink during the past nine contests.
But even with their struggles, culminating in an 82-64 loss to Seattle on July 6, the Sparks responded well with consecutive home wins against Indiana and Chicago.
After those games, Roberts seemed to think the team was moving in the right direction, but team owners made a major change.
The Sparks have a decision to make about how hard they want to push the rest of this season as the team flirts with missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season.
With the trade deadline on Aug.
2, they could make some moves to improve this season or sell off their veteran assets and attempt to rebuild again.
The Sparks havent made the playoffs since 2020 and have made some controversial moves while trying to snap out of the slump.
In addition to the questionable trade of 2024 fourth overall pick Rickea Jackson to Chicago for veteran Atkins this offseason, Pebley traded the picks that would become Storm post duo Awa Fam and Dominique Malonga for Plum and Kia Nurse.
In her sole season with the Sparks, Nurse averaged 7.6 points per game.
Pebley also traded the No.
8 pick in 2024 (that later was used to draft Alissa Pili) to Chicago for Julie Allemand and Li Yueru, then lost Allemand in the expansion draft.
Yueru was sent to Seattle in the Plum trade and is now playing with Dallas.
The Sparks 2025 first-round draft pick Sarah Ashlee Barker was left unprotected and went to Portland in the expansion draft.
The Sparks waived their top pick in this years draft, TaNiya Latson, after barely playing, and she has gone on to join Las Vegas.
Sania Feagin, a 2025 first-round draft pick, was waived and signed with Portland.
Most of those moves, though, came after the Sparks lost the top spot in the 2025 draft lottery to Dallas, which selected Paige Bueckers with the No.
1 pick.
Before the lottery result, it seemed like the Sparks who went 8-32 in 2024 before that draft were lining up for a youth movement led by Brink and Bueckers.
A lineup of those three, a healthy Feagin, Barker and Allemand would be an entirely different kind of team.
Once that failed, they focused on adding veterans who could win now and have only managed modest improvement.
The Sparks have their next two first-round draft picks and four players still on rookie contracts after this season (Brink, Chance Gray, Kate Martin and Pili).
Brink is their lone lottery pick left from their disappointing past six seasons.
(Pili was a top-10 pick, but she has struggled to stay on a WNBA roster and just signed a player developmental contract with the Sparks this month.) Pebley told The Times in an interview on Friday that she was open to making moves to compete at the deadline this year.
We are in a space where we are here to win, she said.
This is a city that wants to win.
We have an ownership that wants to win.
You see what theyre doing with the Lakers.
You see what theyve done already with the Dodgers.
..
We have to always continue to invest in the roster.
We have a responsibility to always listen and be aware of whats out there.
A league source not authorized to discuss trade conversations publicly told The Times that Pebley had been aggressive ahead of the deadline, and now teams are unsure what approach the Sparks will take moving forward.
I found out when everybody else did, Roberts said of Pebleys firing.
It was a surprise.
Shes a good friend of mine.
I think the tone is set that we need to keep building and get the Sparks back to where they have been.
Thats been the tone.
Raegan did some great things for our org in that regard and improved a lot of things.
That work cant go undenied.
Its full-steam ahead and Im focused on what I can do.
It would be difficult to move some of their heftier contracts, especially since WNBA teams cannot take on more salary than their remaining cap space allows in a trade.
Hamby, 32, is signed for two more years for more than $1 million per season.
Atkins is also signed for two years at $1 million-plus and is having a career-worst offensive season, shooting 36.4% with 8.7 points per game.
Wheeler, 35, has another year left on her deal, but a $625,000 cap hit for a player who would be a backup point guard on most teams is a tough sell.
Plum and Ogwumike are on expiring deals, and the Sparks most valuable roster asset, Rae Burrell, is a restricted free agent, but one of the few young players left on the Sparks roster.
The Sparks have a limited $86,000 in cap space, too, so if they decide they want to buy at the deadline, they have to find a way to clear space.
They enter the trade deadline period in a difficult spot as a team in purgatory that just fired its general manager.
Yet what they decide to do in the next month might be the most clearest sign of their ambition and hope for the future.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! ATLANTA The FBI and Atlanta Police Department are getting ready for a massive security operation ahead of the World Cup semifinals between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium.
Both agencies have used drones to search for potential threats on the ground and in the sky.
The FBI is enforcing the Federal Aviation Administrations Temporary Flight Restrictions around the venue.
The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones nationwide since the World Cup began.
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office Marlo Graham said 86 of those drones were seized in Atlanta.
Graham said the FBI uses a mechanism that allows agents to see unauthorized drones in restricted airspace.
Agents then work to mitigate the threat posed by unknown drones.
Weve been able to safely land drones that have been unauthorized in the flight restricted area, Graham said.
While the FBI treats every drone as a potential threat, Graham said the threat level can increase depending on the size of the drone and how close it gets to the stadium.
Obviously, the closer to the venue, the larger the crowd.
We are fortunate here in Atlanta that we have a closed dome stadium, Graham said.
We dont want the game to be impacted because a hobbyist couldnt control their drone, and it lands right when one of our star players was getting ready to score a goal.
EXCLUSIVE: FBI ADDS ALLEGED COVID FRAUDSTER TO MOST WANTED LIST The Atlanta Police Departments Drone Unit has helped the FBI track down people suspected of flying in restricted zones.
Sgt.
Kindu Franklin said most of the people caught flying drones around World Cup venues are hobbyists with no intent to harm the crowd of soccer fans below.
In some cases, they just recently bought a drone just for FIFA to get some of the cool footage that they want to put up on their social media, Franklin said.
There are different ways that you can weaponize these drones.
So, were operating in a proactive manner.
The Atlanta Police Departments drone mission is focused on surveillance.
Officers are looking for potential threats, traffic issues and people the FBI suspects are flying drones illegally.
So, what we want to do is give our command staff a view that they cant get from the ground, Sgt.
James Cunningham with APDs Drone Unit said.
ARMED MAN ARRESTED AT US CAPITOL BARRICADE AS POLICE PROBE WHY HE DROVE ONTO RESTRICTED GROUNDS Cunninghams unit can launch drones remotely from handheld controllers.
Other drones are launched from docking stations strategically placed across the city, and officers control them from the back of an SUV using a computer and a PlayStation controller.
The drone docks are used year-round to help the police get an aerial view of emergency situations before officers arrive.
The computer shows the drone pilot where all the police body cameras and vehicles are in the area, allowing them to communicate better with officers on the ground.
For the World Cup, the drone docks let the department have more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster.
Its going to cut down time.
Were going to get there quick.
And then youre going to get an aerial perspective of what you cant see on the ground, Cunningham said.
Cunningham said the drone unit has completed more than 1,400 flights and logged more than 550 flight hours since the beginning of June.
Some people havent even done that in years or havent even reached those numbers in the life of their drone unit, Cunningham said.
We train for the environment.
We live here, so we know what to expect, Anais Paredes, an APD drone pilot, said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP The FBI is asking that hobbyist drone pilots know the Temporary Flight Restrictions in their area before taking off.
There is a one-mile restriction around World Cup stadiums on non-match days, and a three-mile restriction on game day.
LAS VEGAS From the time Austin Reaves joined the Lakers in 2021 as an undrafted prospect, his basketball life centered around playing with a savant in LeBron James.
That no longer will be the case.
Reaves re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $180-million deal, but James decided to move on as he prepares to play an unprecedented 24th season.
Reaves was stunned when he heard about James decision while playing golf in Lake Tahoe.
Nearly two weeks later, Reaves says he still is trying to process the development.
I kind of was thinking about it last night when I got here, Reaves said Monday in his first news conference since re-signing.
Starting the season without him being on the team is going to be different for me.
Hes kind of all Ive ever known.
Just him being around, joking around, acting like hes 15.
But thats his decision and like I said in Tahoe, anytime Ive talked about it, I got nothing but love and respect for him and yeah, lets play some golf soon.
The contract Reaves signed was the richest in NBA history for an undrafted player.
At 28 and entering his sixth season, Reaves wanted to stay in L.A.
I wanted to be a Laker the whole time.
We had that period from when the season ended until the first [of July] to get something done and we figured it out before then, he said.
My heart was in L.A.
the whole time.
Reaves will become one of the de facto leaders of the Lakers along with Luka Doncic.
The two once again will be one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.
Obviously my relationship with the guys that were on the team last year, Reaves said of why he wanted to stay.
And then Luka.
I mean, hes one of my best friends on this planet.
Talk to him almost every single day.
He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better and I tell him Im not a coach.
The Lakers have overhauled the roster: All the players who started alongside Reaves in the playoffs last spring are gone.
With the signing of former Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams on Monday, the Lakers have eight new players, all of them arriving either via trades, free agency or the draft.
Theyre good, Reaves said of the moves.
Obviously, Ive been with the guys that are leaving for a couple years and with Bron for five years and I hate to see guys like that go.
But the pieces that are coming in, Im very excited about and Im happy to get started today and see where it goes.
One of those new players is Walker Kessler, a 7-foot-2 center the Lakers felt fit best around Doncic and Reaves because hes a lob threat, rim-protector and good defender and is developing his three-point shooting.
The Lakers got him from the Utah Jazz in a trade and then signed him to a four-year, $130-million contract.
The Lakers sent out two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028, 2030).
Kessler, who played only five games last season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, is aware the Lakers paid a big price to get him.
It definitely makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you, Kessler said Monday in his introduction.
And I think what theyve invested, theyre showing that belief in a monetary value, not just with money, but like you said, assets.
And for me, Im somebody that if I know that they have that belief in me, Im gonna run through a brick wall for them.
Thats just how Ive been wired my whole life and it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there and compete for a team.
Power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili could become a fan favorite, in part because of the tattoo he has on his lower left leg a No.
24 in honor of Kobe Bryant.
Mamukelashvili, who signed a four-year, $52-million deal, averaged 11.2 points last season with the Toronto Raptors and shot 52.3% from the field, including 38.9% from three-point range.
I got a Mamba Mentality tattoo.
I just love his mindset, Mamukelashvili said.
Growing up, I used to always say, Mah-moo Mentality! So, I know its a little far from each other.
But we are getting closer.
When guard Collin Sexton, another new Laker, was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, James left and signed with the Lakers.
When Sexton signed a two-year, $19-million deal with the Lakers this month, James left again.
Sexton could only laugh about missing out on playing with James.
Hes just leaving every time I arrive, Sexton said, laughing.
Thats what it is.
No, but one of the other coaches made the same joke yesterday.
Its cool, I know.
Ive always wanted to team up with him for sure, but its definitely cool knowing him and just having normal conversations and stuff, so thats cool.
Sexton averaged 15.4 points and shot 48.5% last season with Chicago and Charlotte.
Hes ready for whatever role coach JJ Redick and the Lakers want for him.
They believe in me, he said.
And I just feel like at the end of the day, whenever a coach believes in you and like he said, hes going to be hard on me and yelling and screaming at me.
So, I like that.
I think thats what gets the best from me.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! WWE will swing for the fences for the second straight year when it hosts one of its major premium live events of the year at a Major League Baseball ballpark.
The company announced on Monday that Survivor Series: WarGames will take place at Daikin Park in Houston the home of the Astros on Saturday, Nov.
28.
It follows up the success of last years Survivor Series: WarGames event, which took place at Petco Park in San Diego the home of the Padres.
COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL Houston is the perfect host city to celebrate this milestone chapter in Survivor Series storied history, and we look forward to partnering with Houston First and the Houston Astros to deliver an unforgettable event, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Triple H Levesque said in a news release.
WarGames is a highly anticipated match, which has taken place yearly among wrestlers on the WWE roster since 2022.
The premium live event has also seen some dramatic returns.
In 2023, CM Punk came back to WWE at the end of the show and shocked the entire sports world.
Randy Orton also made his in-ring return during the match.
Last year, a mystery attacker interrupted the WarGames match and gave the win to The Vision and company.
Its unclear what is in the cards right now for the 40th edition of the event.
We are proud to be able to help bring one of the worlds premier entertainment brands to Houston for what promises to be an unforgettable holiday weekend, said Michael Heckman, President and CEO of Houston First, which partnered with WWE to bring the event back to Houston.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Hosting WWE Survivor Series will bring thousands of passionate fans to our city and generate a significant economic impact for community.
Houston has earned a reputation for delivering world-class entertainment events, and we look forward to welcoming the WWE Universe to our destination.
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