Los Angeles Sparks fire GM Penny Toler
From the Sparks:
The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that Executive Vice President and General Manager Penny Toler was relieved of her duties and will no longer be with the organization, effective immediately. A national search will begin immediately to identify the next general manager of the Sparks. Managing Partner and Governor Eric Holoman will assume the duties in the interim.
“On behalf of ownership and the entire Sparks organization, I’d like to thank Penny Toler for a successful and historic tenure with the organization,” Holoman said. “Penny is a foundational figure in the growth of the WNBA and helped lead our franchise to perennial playoff success and multiple titles. We wish her nothing but the best moving forward.”
This year marked Toler’s 20th season as general manager. Earlier this week, ESPN reported that Toler used offensive language, including a racial slur in a postgame talk with the Sparks after game two of the playoffs semifinal series between the Los Angeles and the Connecticut Sun. Yesterday, the WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told ESPN that the league was investigating Toler’s behavior. The firing comes on the heels of a season that ended in chaos with discontent among the Sparks stars who were benched by head coach Derek Fisher in the last quarter of game three, a loss to Connecticut which resulted in a sweep by the Sun in the series.
@WNBA commissioner @CathyEngelbert on @LA_Sparks GM Penny Toler allegedly using a racial slur in a profanity laced tirade. pic.twitter.com/oXTffDtaAC
— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) October 3, 2019
