Los Angeles Sparks

When the WNBA played its very first game in 1997, the Sparks were on the floor, one of the original eight franchises that helped launch the league. Nearly three decades and three championships later, that purple-and-gold tradition still defines Los Angeles, from Lisa Leslie's barrier-breaking nights to the title runs that made the Sparks a Western Conference cornerstone. So there was something fitting about this Friday in May, when a founding franchise opened its doors to the brand-new Toronto Tempo and reminded everyone what Sparks basketball has always looked like. Nneka Ogwumike, the 2016 MVP who once clinched a championship for this city, was home again and collected her first home win since rejoining the club. Around her, the ball moved the way it always has for this franchise's title teams: Erica Wheeler lofting a lob from well beyond the arc for Ogwumike to finish, Wheeler stepping into a triple after a swing through Dearica Hamby, Kelsey Plum slipping into a two-man game with Ogwumike and dropping a soft left-handed floater from the elbow. Plum led the way with 25, Ogwumike added 20 and Hamby chipped in 19 as Los Angeles held off Toronto, 99-95. For a fan base that has cheered champions and Hall of Famers alike, it was one more night to celebrate a franchise woven into the very fabric of the women's game.