Woolridge Can’t Win This Time

Orlando Woolridge, coach of the WNBA’s Sparks, got his reward Thursday for turning a losing franchise into a winner:

He was fired.

Hours after saying that Woolridge had not been fired, Buss sent out a news release that said:

“Citing an ongoing reorganization of the club and philosophical differences, the Los Angeles Sparks and head coach Orlando Woolridge parted ways amicably [Thursday] after a successful season.”

Spark President Johnny Buss, son of Laker owner Jerry Buss, had told Woolridge and his agent, Lon Rosen, in a meeting Tuesday, “We have philosophical differences.”

Woolridge said, “All he would tell me at the meeting was that he has a philosophical difference with me, but I’m not clear what it is.

“My philosophy is to win, and we did that. And we played exciting basketball. I’m stunned.”

So were some others.

Spark center Lisa Leslie, reached in Hartford, Conn., where she was traveling with the U.S. Olympic team, said, “O[rlando] did a great job, I thought. I have nothing but respect for him. We had a 100% turnaround last season and O had a lot to do with that.”

NBC announcer Ann Meyers expressed outrage.

“I’m so disheartened by the fact that this franchise could have so much respect in the Southern California women’s basketball community,” she said.

“But this franchise is so disorganized at the top . . . it’s an embarrassment, a laughingstock. That’s what Johnny Buss has created.

“I thought O did a tremendous job. I’ve been to his practices and the chemistry with the players and his assistant coaches was so good. The players saw that from Day 1 and fed off it.”

The Sparks were 12-18 in 1998, 14-14 in 1997. Woolridge became the team’s interim coach midway through the 1998 season, replacing Julie Rousseau.

So the Sparks will begin their fourth season in June with their fourth coach.

The first was Linda Sharp, fired 11 games into the 1997 season. She was replaced by Rousseau on an interim basis, then Rousseau was rehired before the 1998 season.

Buss, in the Thursday interview, was unclear about why he had told Woolridge his job was in jeopardy. He said that would be clarified in an official announcement later in the day, but it wasn’t.

“Orlando has not been fired,” he said in the release.

“His contract expired Sept. 15. At this time, he will not be retained as head coach. I will interview other candidates.

“We need to go in another direction. Releasing Rhonda Windham [the general manager who was fired early in the season] was step one. Not re-signing Orlando is the second step.”

The Sparks were 20-12 this past season and took the WNBA champion Houston Comets to the deciding game of the three-game Western Conference playoffs.

Twice Los Angeles had six-game winning streaks. In one stretch, the Sparks won 13 of 15. Three times they beat Houston, the three-time league champion. The Sparks, in a 12-team league, were one of two teams with 20 victories.

Woolridge was third in coach-of-the-year balloting behind winner Van Chancellor of Houston and Sonny Allen of Sacramento.

Woolridge wondered if he’s the fall guy for poor attendance. The Sparks finished 10th in attendance, with an average home crowd of 7,625.

“J.B. [Johnny Buss] is very frustrated about ticket sales,” Woolridge said. “But my job was to put a winning team out there and we accomplished that.

“I was told winning basketball games isn’t the most important thing. I thought it was.”

Spark Notes

Spark center Lisa Leslie has a slight cartilage tear in her right knee and will require arthroscopic surgery. Leslie said the injury occurred in her Washington hotel room Wednesday, the night before the U.S. Olympic team was to leave for a game in Hartford, Conn. “My knee just popped,” she said. Leslie flew to Los Angeles on Thursday night to be examined by Spark physician Stephen Lombardo. She is expected to miss up to four weeks of Olympic team training.

Spark Coaches

Julie Rousseau replaced Linda Sharp after 11 games in the 1997 season, then was replaced with 10 games to go in the 1998 season (Orlando Woolridge went 5-5 the rest of the season):

Season Coach Record

1997 Linda Sharp 4-7

1997-98 Julie Rousseau 17-20

1998-99 Orlando Woolridge 25-17