Christine Simmons steps down as Sparks President and COO
More turnover in Los Angeles.
Brian Agler resigns out of nowhere.
Derek Fisher gets hired and many are still questioning why.
Penny Toler has refused multiple requests for interviews on both fronts.
And now the Los Angeles Sparks’ President and Chief Operating Officer, Christine Simmons, is stepping down to pursue the same position at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Los Angeles Sparks announced today (Dec. 20).
Simmons joined the Sparks organization in 2014, and since that time, has played an integral role in increasing ticket sales and attendance. For the last two seasons, LA has been atop the WNBA attendance standings.
Now what?
A new leader at the helm in Fisher and now some really big shoes to fill in Simmons. They say change isn’t always a bad thing, but it will be interesting to see how LA acclimates to new leadership heading into the 2019 campaign. But perhaps the more important question: how long will it take them to acclimate?
In a tweet earlier today, the Sparks expressed their gratitude and wished her nothing but the best.
But there are probably a lot of people out there wondering why there’s so much turnover of late in Los Angeles.
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(At least Simmons actually got a full press release on her resignation, unlike the super-brief one Agler received).
Every franchise has its issues, LA’s have just been the most publicly talked about (and criticized) as of late. The only way to really know what’s going on is to wait around for the season to get here. Do they implode with change or do they simply pick up where they left off and all is right with the world?
If there is one thing we do know, it’s that press releases only tell us so much. Performance and team morale tell a completely different story, so we shall wait and see.
It shouldn’t be long before the Sparks announce their new President with several candidates already pinned down. Having someone with Simmons’ expertise and experience on the marketing front will be critical, especially if LA has a ‘down’ year under Fisher — a reasonable possibility with any first-year head coach.
Time will tell if Penny Toler has anything to say about it.