Los Angeles Sparks Hosted WNBA Championship Celebration

It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles and no, not because of the weather.

The city had a reason to celebrate as the 2016 WNBA Champions, the Los Angeles Sparks brought home the championship trophy in a massive celebration held at L.A. Live in Downtown L.A. on Monday afternoon.

Hundreds of fans filled the Chick Hearn courtyard for a chance to get a glimpse of the shiny new trophy and see their favorite Sparks’ players while joining the festivities.

The team waited patiently on the side as the crowd directed their attention to the big screen as the ceremony festivities began. They replayed the final three plays of Game 5 of the WNBA Finals where the Sparks went on to win in Minneapolis over the Minnesota Lynx, giving them their first title since 2002.

As the final buzzer hit and the Sparks were declared the new champions, the crowd cheered as if it were happening all over again in front of their very own eyes.

I glanced to the side and could see guard Ana Dabovic and forward Evgeniia Belyakova glazing at the big screen with the biggest smiles on their faces as if they, themselves were reliving that very same moment.

The players then took the stage as they were introduced one by one and joined Coach Brian Agler, the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti among others.

Each player addressed the crowd individually, as they each took the podium to say a few words and give their thanks.

“It couldn’t have been more story book,” Finals MVP Nneka Ogwumike said. “It didn’t feel like a Cinderella story, but it got to this point. I’m just very thankful to be able to share this with you, and be able to celebrate with you and I cannot wait to get that ring next year.”

For Dabovic, what mattered the most was the impact the team made on others.

“We made little girls play basketball. I think that’s the most exciting and they have so many players here they can look up to and I’m happy I play with them.”

And of course, the guest of honor had to be none other than forward Candace Parker who already had an amazing list of accomplishments under her belt prior to winning a championship.

Parker’s resume includes a NCAA title, 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year award, two WNBA MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals. This title marks her first ever WNBA Championship win, making it incredibly special not only for herself, but also for her fans.

“We really appreciate our fans because you guys have stuck with us, it is our pleasure to bring this back to L.A. where it should be,” Parker said.

“If you take anything away from today, and this journey, is that you’re gonna have obstacles in life, you’re gonna have people that tell you, you cannot do things, you’re going to have injuries and setbacks and everything that everybody on this stage has faced, but we did it together.

We surrounded ourselves with the right people and I knew that it was from a good place. So I think in terms of how this season has gone, we’ve taken the punches, we’ve taken the slaps and we’ve been right back up ready to get going.”

The ceremony concluded soon after Parker delivered her closing statement and the crowd then proceeded to follow up with a, “Let’s go Sparks” chant that gave you goosebumps from the intensity and excitement of their voices.

To them, this was a day that will forever be cemented in Sparks history as the beginning of a new dynasty. A dynasty that we haven’t seen in the last 13 years, but one that is here to stay.