| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Sparks sign Sophia Witherspoon
Tuesday June 10, 2003EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) The two-time defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks signed guard Sophia Witherspoon on Tuesday, reversing a decision to not re-sign her at the start of training camp.
To make room on their 11-player roster, the Sparks waived forward LaTasha Byears.
Witherspoon averaged 5.2 points in 31 games for the Sparks last season and was third in the league with a .418 3-point shooting percentage.
``We are extremely excited to have Sophia back,'' Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. ``It was a difficult decision not to return her initially but now we have an opportunity to rest Mwadi Mabika and bring back a proven veteran. It is a win-win situation for our team.''
Byears averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games this season.
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