Led by former WNBA Coach of the Year, Michael Cooper, the Sparks went on to tie a League record and franchise best 28 wins in their WNBA debut at STAPLES Center in 2001. Posting a record-breaking 9-0 start to the 2001 campaign, Los Angeles completed the regular season undefeated at home with a WNBA best 16-0 mark. The Sparks also topped the League at No. 1 in points (76.3), defensive rebounds (.720), total rebounds (.39) and assists (18.3) per game and captured their first ever WNBA championship – sweeping the Eastern Conference Champion Charlotte Sting in the championship series. Former team point guard, Penny Toler retired from basketball in November 1999 to become the first WNBA player in the league’s history to go from the hardwood to the executive suite as General Manager of Player Personnel. She is also the fastest player-turned-manager in any men’s or women’s league to assemble a championship team (two years).

In 2002, the Sparks became the second team in WNBA history to repeat as Champions – going undefeated (6-0) through the playoffs en route to a sweep of the Eastern Conference Champion New York Liberty. The Los Angeles Sparks held an impressive 12-1 playoff record during their back-to-back championship seasons.

The 2003 season proved to be an injury riddled one for the Los Angeles Sparks. Resiliently, the Sparks overcame their injuries and went on to win the Western Conference Championship for a third consecutive season. The Sparks had a convincing Game 1 victory over the Detroit Shock 75-63. They were then faced with the scenario of trying to become the first team in WNBA history to win the Championship on the road. This feat nearly came to fruition as the Sparks overcame a 19 point deficit in Game 2 at Detroit; however, the Shock pulled out the nail-biter 62-61 to force a deciding Game 3. The championship game, held at The Palace at Auburn Hills, proved to be a historic event as it was home to the largest crowd in WNBA history – 22,076. The Detroit Shock’s victory was sealed by Deanna Nolan's three-point basket with 53 seconds remaining and perfect free throw shooting down the stretch.

The 2004 Sparks continued their impressive streak of playoff appearances by making it to postseason play for the sixth-straight year with a 25-9 regular-season record. However, the Sacramento Monarchs ended the Sparks’ chances of repeating as Western Conference Champions with a first-round series victory over Los Angeles. 2004 WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie led the league in rebounds per game and was third in scoring. Leslie and teammate Nikki Teasley each received All-WNBA recognition.

2005 introduced Los Angeles to 6-time WNBA All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw, who led the ’05 Sparks in points, free throws made and consistently ranked in the top three in the league for points, minutes, and field goals. Sparks veteran Lisa Leslie continued to impress fans in Los Angeles with her 15.2 points per game and 71 total blocked shots. A 2005 All-Star, Leslie made history as the first player to dunk in a WNBA All-Star game. With 13 wins and 16 losses under head coach Henry Bibby, assistant coach Joe “Jellybean” Bryant took over for the final five games (4-1) allowing the team to finish squarely at .500 (17-17). With a perfectly split record, the Sparks caught a glimpse of the postseason as their tireless efforts were outmatched by the Monarch’s for the second straight year.

2006 proved to be a historical year for the Sparks as players reached career milestones and as the organization changed ownership. Lisa Leslie became the first WNBA player to reach 5,000 career points and was named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for a career three times. Leslie’s copious career was honored in an on-court celebration in which then-team president Johnny Buss dedicated the court to the record-breaking center. Milestones by the Sparks did not cease there. In a historical presentation, Penny Toler’s decade of involvement with the Sparks as an exceptional player and as a dedicated General Manager, was recognized when her No. 11 jersey was retired during a Sparks game, marking the first female jersey to be retired at STAPLES Center. With Coach Bryant at the helm, the 2006 Sparks boasted a 25-9 regular season record and came back to beat the Seattle Storm after a first game loss in the Western Conference Semi-finals. The Sparks concluded the ’06 season when they were defeated at the Honda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, when the Sacramento Monarchs came to visit in a battle to advance to the WNBA Finals.

After a decade of commitment, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Buss family sold the Sparks to a group of investors led by Carla Christofferson and Katherine Goodman. Fans themselves, Christofferson and Goodman, along with new Sr. Vice President of Business Operations Allison McGowen, are tenaciously focused on captivating Sparks fans through new and exclusive experiences. Continuing the Sparks message of the value and importance in community outreach, the Sparks will maintain their active participation with various programs throughout Los Angeles.