weight room

The Sparks announced they are joining the WNBA’s facilities upgrade boom, building a $150-million, 55,000-square-foot training and practice facility in El Segundo that is set to open ahead of the 2027 season.

The venue will include two WNBA regulation basketball courts along with a locker room, weight room and athletic training space. The team states the facility will also feature an outdoor spa, indoor hydrotherapy suites, dedicated nap rooms, wellness spaces for yoga or mediation, and extensive use of natural light and retractable doors.

“We’re building a place where Sparks players can be at their best on and off the court,” said Eric Holoman, Sparks managing partner and governor. “From cutting-edge training and recovery spaces to family and community areas, every corner of this facility was designed with them at the center.”

The team did not disclose the venue’s address in El Segundo, which also is the location of Lakers, Kings and Chargers practice facilities.

The Sparks, who posted a 21-23 record and fell two wins short of clinching a playoff spot this season, are addressing one of the biggest complaints about the franchise’s commitment to player development. The team most recently trained at El Camino College, where they had no permanent locker room or weight room. The franchise has rented various training locations throughout its history, making the new building a dramatic upgrade for the team.

The team provided the following renderings of the facility.

A rendering shows the exterior of the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows the basketball courts in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows an indoor hydrotherapy pool in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows what the Sparks call a glamour area in their future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows a locker room in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows a weight and fitness room in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

It was perfect timing on Monday for the Moore League to hold its first football media day, considering that five of the seven head coaches are new and the host school, Long Beach Jordan, is opening its new stadium next week.

Alfred Rowe (Long Beach Jordan), Mario Morales (Lakewood), Justin Utupo (Long Beach Poly), Raudric Curtis (Long Beach Wilson) and Malcolm Manuel (Long Beach Cabrillo) all promised to lead their respective programs to success through passion and determination. The two returning coaches, Romeo Pellum (Long Beach Millikan) and Calvin Bryant (Compton), offered similar commitments.

“Just having a new stadium and changing the culture, it’s exciting,” said Rowe, who went to Long Beach Poly and played for Pete Carroll at USC. “The most important thing is effort. Our goal is nobody is going to outplay us.”

Compton has a new stadium and a new $225-million, 31-acre campus. Bryant spent five years having his students attend a former middle school. “Our guys are fired up,” Bryant said. “I can’t get them to go home.”

They love their weight room. They love their classrooms. The team went 3-7 last season but could be one of the most improved. They just added All-City running back Edward Rivera from South East.

Five of the seven head coaches are Black, reinforcing the diversity of the schools they represent. “The coaches and leaders look like their players,” Lakewood’s Morales said.

Curtis played at Pomona-Pitzer and is a former head coach at Bellflower and was an assistant at Mayfair. “Wilson is not going to be edged out any longer,” he vowed. “We’re not going to take a back seat any longer.”

There were big-time players in attendance, including 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end Jude Nelson of Long Beach Millikan. He’s bigger now than his brother, quarterback Malachi Nelson. “I can beat him up a little,” he joked.

Poly brought quarterback Deuce Jefferson (Weber State), cornerback Donte Wright Jr. (Georgia), tight end Jaden Hernandez (Colorado State), among others. Lineman Anthony Rodriguez certainly looked like he has spent the offseason in the weight room. He’s 6-5, 280 pounds, down 20 pounds from last season. Committed to UC Davis, he said, “I’m way leaner. I’m still chunky but thick.”

Wilson has 6-5 quarterback Mack Cooper, a three-year starter. Lakewood turns to three-year starter Tiwan Jones in the secondary.

One of the most intriguing players is 6-4 junior quarterback Sama’Jay Jackson of Jordan. He was an all-league basketball player. He’s returning to football for the first time since he gave up the sport in 2020 when the pandemic struck. He’s fast, running a 4.6-second 40-yard dash.

Millikan is opening its season next weekend in Nevada playing Foothill in Henderson.