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Parting ways

Los Angeles' Woolridge resigns as coach

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Posted: Saturday October 02, 1999 05:47 PM

Orlando Woolridge, whom was third in the WNBA's Coach of the Year voting, is leaving Los Angeles. Steve Grayson/Allsport

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- Orlando Woolridge is leaving as coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA in a parting the team said was "amicable."

Under Woolridge in 1999, the Sparks had best record in their three WNBA seasons, 20-12, and lost to eventual league champion Houston two games to one in the Western Conference finals.

Woolridge was third in the WNBA's Coach of the Year voting, behind Van Chancellor of Houston and Sonny Allen of Sacramento -- a team the Sparks ousted in the playoffs' first round.

Woolridge was an assistant coach for his first 1 1/2 seasons with the Sparks and interim coach at the tail end of a 12-18 1998 season. He declined to comment on the reasons for his departure. Team president and interim general manager Johnny Buss was not available to comment, a team spokeswoman said.

"The Sparks are confident in the new direction in which the team is headed and would like to thank Woolridge for his efforts over the past 2 1/2 seasons," the Sparks' statement said. "The search for a new coach will begin immediately."

The first former NBA player to become a WNBA coach, Woolridge played 13 NBA seasons with Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers.

He entered coaching as an assistant to the girls' coach at a Los Angeles private school in 1996-97, and joined the Sparks as an assistant in mid-1997.

 

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