WNBA roundup: Kelsey joins Sparks staff, Baugh and Peters get training camp offers,
By Mike Peden
A pair of WNBA transactions dotted Monday’s headlines. One involves a new coach and the other brings back some familiar names.
The Los Angeles Sparks, last year’s WNBA champion, announced the hiring of Bobbie Kelsey to their coaching staff. Kelsey, 44, will join the team as an assistant.
“She will be responsible for our preparation for competition and will be engaged in our practice setting. Bobbie will get up to speed quickly on the WNBA, how we play and practice and she will fit in perfectly to our culture,” Sparks head coach Brian Agler said in a statement released by the team.
The Sparks job is the first for Kelsey in the WNBA after several stops in the college circuit, including a five-year stint as head coach at Wisconsin. Despite her experience, Kelsey struggled to achieve success with the Badgers. She was fired in 2016 after posting a career record of 47-100.
Of course, the coaching journey usually requires many stops, and Kelsey stands to learn a lot working alongside Agler and esteemed players like Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike.
Over in San Antonio, two faces from last year will get a shot at making this year’s roster. The Stars signed Vicki Baugh and Haley Peters to training camp contracts.
Baugh joined the Stars midway through the 2016 season, following a two-year stretch in Tulsa. The 27-year-old product of Tennessee hasn’t achieved a breakout performance in her short career, but Baugh can provide an accurate arm from the post, posting a field goal percentage of 57.6 last season.
Peters, 24, got her first taste of WNBA competition last year after spending two years overseas. Her stat line of 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game appears pedestrian, but she scored double-figures in seven games, offering a glimpse of her potential.
If nothing else, inking Baugh and Peters to training camp deals preserves some continuity for a franchise in the midst of transition.