In a move of little surprise, it looks like Mark Walter is searching for a buyer for the LA Sparks.
As he continues offloading sports franchises and ownership stakes, the Sparks appear to be the latest on the list for Walter. According to Randall Williams, Sridhar Natarajan, and Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg, Walter is looking to sell the franchise for a record-shattering $700 million.
Mark Walter is looking to sell the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, taking another step in the dismantling of his sports-team
empire, according to people familiar with the matter.
…
Sportico values the team at $400 million. Walter is looking to sell the franchise and a related practice facility for more than $700 million, said one of the people, who wasn’t authorized to speak discussing private dealings. The practice facility, which was constructed for $150 million, is scheduled to open before the start of the 2027 season. The franchise plays in the Crypto.com Arena.
The current record for a franchise sale came in early 2026 when the Connecticut Sun were sold to the Fertitta family for $300 million. That was a much different circumstance with the franchise set to relocate to Houston as a result of the sale.
The Sparks, however, are well-entrenched in Los Angeles and the WNBA, which plays a big role in the valuation proposed by Walter. The team will certainly go for a record-breaking amount, it’s just a question of how far above that $300 million mark they go.
Walter sold majority ownership of the Lakers in August at a record-breaking $12.5 billion. He also sold his stake in Chelsea Football Club for more than $1 billion in September. The Sparks are now next on the list. The looming question is whether this is the last LA team he sells or will the Dodgers follow suit.
All this comes as Walter is embroiled in a federal investigation for loan fraud, prompting the dismantling of his sports empire.
There will likely be no shortage of interested buyers. The franchise is arguably the greatest in league history, even with its current drought of playoff appearances, let alone titles. A revitalized version of the Sparks contending for a title would immediately be one of the most valuable franchises in the league.
Sportico’s most recent valuations in April of this year ranked the Sparks the seventh-most valuable franchise at that $400 million mark. The most valuable franchise was the Valkyries at $850 million, followed by the Liberty at $600 million.
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