LOS ANGELES — In need of a boost after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the Sparks added a key sharp-shooting wing. Derek Fisher, the team's coach and general manager, moved pieces to get a speedy championship-winning point guard. They added an international star center.
Playing in Australia during the busy free-agency period, Sparks guard Brittney Sykes often woke to news of a new teammate. Seeing the roster take shape, she wondered to herself: "Fish, what are you trying to do?"
When the all-league defender met the players on the rebuilt roster that balanced youth and experience with frontcourt depth and backcourt skill, Fisher's vision became obvious.
