In the W: Los Angeles Sparks Move Operations to Convention Center Nearby, Turn Back the Clock to 1997 The team will return to Staples Center on Aug. 15 vs. Indiana By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Monday, June 21, 2021 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
After a year filled with calls for gender and racial equity, it's time to celebrate the 25th season of the WNBA. Similar to At the Ballpark, On the Gridiron, On the Hardwood, At the Rink, and On the Pitch, SVG's In the W highlights the efforts, technological solutions, and creative ideas of a handful of production crews in the league.
Some of the most successful players in the 25-year history of the WNBA have donned a Sparks jersey, including Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie and future Hall of Famer Candace Parker. Active players - such as six-time All-Star, 2012 Rookie of the Year, and 2016 MVP and WNBA Champion Nneka Ogwumike - are inscribing their names in the league's record book. This year, the franchise will write a new chapter by playing their first 12 home games away from Staples Center and honoring their storied legacy.
Honestly, it has been an adventure, says Danelle Winfield, senior director, game operations, entertainment and promotions, Los Angeles Sparks. [This offseason], it felt like I had an apprenticeship at the same time as my full-time job in order to build this entire arena out.
Logistical Challenge: Organization Moves Next Door to Convention Center
The Los Angeles Sparks' production team is operating at the Los Angeles Convention Center until August.
The team's preparations for its 2021 season took place in an unfamiliar setting. To accommodate the late start to the NBA regular season and the postseason schedules of the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, the Sparks packed their things and headed a few steps from Staples Center to a temporary home at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). The process called for a massive amount of planning on two fronts: the logistics of the large-scale moving of the Sparks' home court and a production strategy for entertaining fans attending games in a new venue.
We have a new court, but it was also the scorer's table, baskets, rigging, behind-the-scenes area, and stands, Winfield says. I worked with over 18 vendors in the middle of the pandemic. We're continuing to deal with not only the [health and safety] rules of the county but the different procedures coming down from the WNBA.
One of the vendors that was used throughout the process was Pipe Dreams, a local event-planning company that assists with project management, draping, scenic walls, props, tents, fencing, and more.
In the beginning, we wanted to conceptualize the feel of [our show] and how it would work out best for us, says Winfield. We hired some amazing talent because I was never going to let go of my work in game operations, entertainment, and promotions.
Wubble Download: Workflows From the 2020 Regular Season in Florida Before the gargantuan challenge of settling into a whole new building, the organization was tasked with providing an exciting atmosphere in the confined WNBA bubble, more commonly known as the Wubble. Heading into the shortened 2020 season, the Sparks had a fair amount of momentum after a successful 2019 campaign. On the court, the squad went on a 14-game winning streak at home, finished in third place in the Western Conference, and made a run to the WNBA Semifinals.
Los Angeles Sparks' Danelle Winfield (left) and Debra Moton are two key members of the game-presentation staff.
Off the court, Winfield and her colleagues were recognized for their stellar work, earning multiple awards: 2019 WNBA Franchise of the Year, Ticket Sales Performance of the Year, Marketing Performance of the Year and #1 in Entertainment, Satisfaction, and Service (according to the WNBA Fan Analytics conducted by Evolved Experience Solutions).
2019 feels like a long time ago, says Winfield. There have been a lot of changes, but, as I reflect back, everything that we did was to basically build a home-court advantage. We made sure to highlight dance cams, play hype videos, and work with our entertainment teams.
With these accolades, the production staff were in relatively good shape to develop engaging content under the difficult circumstances of the bubble. Down at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, a handful of production professionals handled the playout of content, but, in terms of the actual creation of the material, Winfield and company worked together to produce the elements.
To make our players feel like we were with them, she says, we wanted to make sure our theming was seen and our music was present. It was everything that I would do for a regular game day, but I packaged it nicely and sent it on [to the Wubble]. It was hard to watch, because I felt a little disconnected [from what I love], but I'm excited to finally get to produce shows again in front of fans.
Back to the Beginning: Celebrating Inaugural Game With '90s-Themed Content In the summer of 1997, eight franchises founded the juggernaut that is the WNBA. Four of the eight - the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, and Sacramento Monarchs - have since dissolved, and one was rebranded from the Utah Starzz to the San Antonio Silver Stars to the San Antonio Stars and, eventually, to the current Las Vegas Aces. The remaining three have remained a pillar of the league over the past quarter of a century: Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, and the Sparks. The Liberty and Sparks are etched in WNBA lore as participants in the league's first-ever game on June 21, 1997. The current year will honor the legacy of both the league and the franchise.
The Sparks are celebrating the WNBA's 25th Anniversary with their Rooted in LA slogan.
It's
North America Stories
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
03/06/2026
Liverpool FC and Wasabi Technologies have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, with Wasabi continuing as the club's official cloud storage...
03/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP as part of the relocation of its n...
03/06/2026
The Riedel Group has announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 201...
03/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the deployment of its intercom solutions at Itaka Arena ...
03/06/2026
Scott Coker has announced six senior executive appointments for his new global MMA promotion, which launched earlier this year with $60 million in financing. Ad...
03/06/2026
Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 2026, has announced its digital and social media programming for the tournament, running Ju...
03/06/2026
The Bundesliga has announced the launch of Captain, an AI assistant built into t...
03/06/2026
Anthony James Partners (AJP) is serving as technology consultant for a moderniza...
03/06/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the recipients of its annual sales rep firm awards for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The awards were presented by Jim Schanz, Executive ...
In the W: Los Angeles Sparks Move Operations to Convention Center Nearby, Turn Back the Clock to 1997 The team will return to Staples Center on Aug. 15 vs. Indiana By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
