Despite being in a great market and having a talent team, the Los Angeles Sparks is a struggling WNBA franchise. There were even whispers of relocation or contraction, that is until a little magic came back to the Staples Center. Laker legend and part Dodger owner, Magic Johnson, is teaming up again with his partners, Mark Walter, who is the chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as Dodgers president Stan Kasten and part owners Todd Boehly and Bobby Patton.
The WNBA recently took control of the Sparks and actively sought to find new buyers after previous owner, Paula Madison, abruptly informed the league and the Sparks staff that she couldn’t operate the team any longer mainly because her family lost $12M while operating the team. The Golden State Warriors ownership expressed interest in buying the Sparks and moving them to the Bay Area. But now that the Dodger group has stepped in, the Los Angeles Sparks, one of the first WNBA franchises, will be staying in Los Angeles.
It is the second time the duo has partnered to help resurrect an L.A. franchise. Johnson and Walter teamed with a group of investors to buy the Dodgers from embattled owner Frank McCourt in 2012 for a record $2.15 billion dollars. The purchase of the Sparks is being made separately from Walter and Johnson’s ownership of the Dodgers.
