The Los Angeles Sparks are constructing a brand new observe facility, however some WNBA groups lag behind

The Los Angeles Sparks are the newest WNBA workforce to start plans to assemble their very own observe facility. For the final two seasons, the Sparks practiced at El Camino Faculty, a neighborhood school in Torrance, California.

“We’re constructing greater than a observe facility; we’re investing in the way forward for ladies’s basketball in Los Angeles,” mentioned Sparks governor Eric Holoman in a press release. “This facility is a part of a broader imaginative and prescient to raise the LA Sparks because the premier franchise within the WNBA and to create an surroundings the place our gamers have each useful resource they should obtain greatness. Los Angeles is a metropolis of champions, and we’re decided to carry that successful legacy to the Sparks.”

With the announcement, the Sparks turn into the third workforce with plans for their very own observe facility within the coming years. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has harassed that team-specific observe amenities are key priorities for enlargement groups. They’re one thing that gamers themselves have been fairly outspoken about all through the years.

4 groups which have their very own observe amenities

The Las Vegas Aces set the tone for the remainder of the league once they unveiled their observe facility. Forward of the 2023 season, the workforce constructed a $40 million, 64,000 square-foot-facility. Two basketball courts, weight rooms, coaching rooms, a movie room, a participant lounge, a household room, locker rooms, cold and hot plunge swimming pools, an infrared sauna, cryotherapy, a vitamin bar, and extra.

Aces gamers have gushed in regards to the significance of one of these facility.

“For us to have this and to go from us not having lockers at one level to now having an HQ of our personal, I believe it goes to indicate the path that we’re going and the place ladies’s basketball must go,” A’ja Wilson instructed The Athletic quickly after the amenities have been unveiled.

Photograph by Ian Maule/NBAE by way of Getty Photos

The Seattle Storm unveiled their very own facility in 2023 — a $64 million, 50,000 sq. foot facility referred to as the Seattle Storm Middle for Basketball Efficiency.

The Phoenix Mercury unveiled the brand new state-of-the-art amenities throughout WNBA All-Star weekend — a $100 million, 58,000 sq. foot facility in downtown Phoenix.

Photograph by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE by way of Getty Photos

The Golden State Valkyries — set to affix the league subsequent season — could have their very own state-of-the-art amenities from the start. The power, based mostly in Oakland, is over 30,000 sq. ft.

3 groups share a devoted facility with their NBA counterparts

The Indiana Fever share a observe facility with the Indiana Pacers, on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the place in addition they play their video games. The Fever have been displaced from the Fieldhouse from 2000 to 2002, because it underwent renovations. Inside the facility, the Fever have their very own facilities.

The Minnesota Lynx share a observe facility with the Minnesota Timberwolves, on the Courts at Mayo Middle. The Lynx have been the primary WNBA workforce to have their very own designated observe house, which incorporates their very own court docket, locker room, and coaching areas. Development on this facility started in 2014, and for years, offered an enormous distinction between the Lynx and different WNBA groups.

The Washington Mystics observe on the MedStar Well being Efficiency Middle, an area they share with the Washington Wizards. Gamers have 24/7 entry to the amenities, and get to learn from NBA sources.

4 WNBA groups have plans for their very own observe amenities

The Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and New York Liberty are all on observe for their very own amenities by 2026. The Sparks now be a part of that group of groups with plans within the works, although there’s nonetheless no timetable for his or her facility’s building.

The Sky introduced they’d construct a brand-new efficiency middle in July, a $38-million facility bigger than 40,000 sq. ft. That got here after years of working towards on the Sachs Recreation Middle, a public facility that doesn’t belong to the Sky.

The Wings, in the meantime, are planning to relocate from Arlington, Texas to Dallas. Wings CEO Greg Bibb has shared that that transfer will include the workforce getting their very own observe facility, although restricted particulars have been shared: “We’re making a observe facility that’s on par with any NBA facility on the market.”

In July, Joe and Clara Wu Tsai introduced they have been constructing a observe facility for the Liberty in Brooklyn. At the moment, the Liberty make the most of the observe court docket at Barclay’s Middle. They solely a single court docket — not the 2 side-by-side courts which are customary — however the facility’s location is handy.

2 WNBA groups haven’t any express plans for their very own observe amenities

The Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Solar are actually the one two groups that don’t have their very own observe facility — or a plan to construct one.

The Solar at the moment observe on the Tribal Follow Facility, part of the Mohegan Group and Authorities Middle in Uncasville, Connecticut. The workforce doesn’t have unique entry to the ability, so gamers can’t use it year-round. The power additionally lacks lots of the facilities knowledgeable basketball workforce’s devoted house would have. There have been a number of high-profile situations of the Solar being kicked out of the ability in favor of neighborhood occasions; for instance, throughout the first spherical of the playoffs in opposition to the Fever, they needed to share the court docket with a toddler’s celebration.

The Atlanta Dream practices on the Core4 Athletic Advanced, a facility constructed by former NBA participant Paul Millsap. The power is skilled — it has a number of observe courts, a weight room, saunas, and so forth — nevertheless it’s not particularly theirs, and it’s about 23 miles from Gateway Middle, the place the workforce performs. `