LA Sparks hire Derek Fisher as the new Head Coach. GM fired after calling players “bytch Ass nikkas”

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Racial epithets, a star benched and a coach questioned: Inside the L.A. Sparks' chaotic finish
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Candace Parker looked dejected. Alana Beard hid her tears with a towel. Nneka Ogwumike sat on the bench, staring out at the game -- and the Los Angeles Sparks' season -- that was unraveling in front of them.
Three future Hall of Famers, all on the bench, as the Connecticut Sun swept the Sparks out of the WNBA semifinals. Over a week has passed since L.A.'s confounding Game 3 collapse, a 78-56 loss in which Parker played only 11 minutes and all five Sparks starters were benched by the end of the third quarter.

Afterward, Parker said she was healthy, and recommended that reporters ask Sparks coach Derek Fisher why her minutes had been so limited. Fisher explained postgame that "we've had an issue sustaining energy over 40 minutes against this team in this series," and he was "just trying to get fresh bodies in so we could continue to bang and rebound and run the floor and communicate defensively. It wasn't in any way to single [Candace] out, you know. ...


However, multiple Sparks players and league sources told ESPN they believed Fisher's decision to pull Parker was "premeditated" and influenced by a contentious speech given by general manager Penny Toler after the Sparks' listless 94-68 loss in Game 2, in which Parker was ineffective, scoring three points and attempting only three field goals in 26 minutes.

After Game 2 on Sept. 19 in Connecticut, Toler entered the Sparks' locker room and challenged the team with an obscenity-laced speech that also included several racial epithets, sources said.

Toler, who is African American, did not dispute the use of the "N-word" in that speech, but stressed that she never directed it at her players.

"By no means did I call my players the N-word," Toler told ESPN. "I'm not saying that I couldn't have used it in a context. But it wasn't directed at any of my players.

"It's unfortunate I used that word. I shouldn't. Nobody should. ... But you know, like I said, I'm not here to defend word by word by word what I said. I know some of the words that I'm being accused of are embellished. Did I give a speech that I hoped would get our team going? Yes.

"I think that this whole conversation has been taken out of context because when we lose, emotions are running high and, unfortunately and obviously, some people feel some type of way."

Several Sparks players told ESPN the speech made them feel uncomfortable and showed "total disrespect" as Toler called them "m-----f-----s" and "b----a-------s" and suggested she'd replace them next year if they got swept by the Sun.

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Racial epithets, a star benched and a coach questioned: Inside the L.A. Sparks' chaotic finish
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