The Sparks and Washington Mystics have agreed to a major trade
involving two of the WNBA's best players, it was announced today.

Washington will send its star, Chamique Holdsclaw, to Los Angeles in
exchange for Los Angeles forward DeLisha Milton-Jones and the Spark's
first round pick (13th) in the league's 2005 draft.

The price is a steep one for the Sparks because if Holdsclaw, who
missed part of last season and later acknowledged she was battling
clinical depression, decides not to report to the Sparks, they will
still lose Milton-Jones and their draft pick.

Milton-Jones missed nearly half of the Sparks season, including the
playoffs because of a knee injury, but has been overseas this winter
and is reportedly playing without difficulty.

Sparks general manager Penny Toler, attempting to contact Holdsclaw,
who is playing overseas in Spain, was unavailable for comment today.
Sparks' President Johnny Buss confirmed the trade.

"People [in Washington] were worried whether DeLisha is healthy, but
her knee is fine," Buss said. "We wish her nothing but the best. She
has a real spirit for WNBA and is a great player. We hated to give
her up, but also we needed some new energy in Los Angeles. When we
thought that Washington might be interested in a trade, Penny held on
and kept talking to them.

"We are taking a risk, but that is what we're about. I don't know
Chamique personally, but from what I know of her, I think she will be
excited to come to L.A. We have a strong organization and a
respectful approach for the players who play for the Lakers and
Sparks."

Buss went on to say this would probably be the one major deal the
Sparks complete this off-season. He said the team lacks the cap room
to attract top-level unrestricted free agents "and we're not
interested in any other trades."

After an outstanding college career, where she won three national
championships at the University of Tennessee, Holdsclaw, 27, was the
Mystics' and the WNBA's top first round selection in 1999. She was
the WNBA rookie of the year in 1999.

In her six WNBA seasons, the 6-1,172-pound forward has averaged 18.3
points and nine rebounds. Holdsclaw is a three-time all-star, two-
time all-WNBA selection, and won a gold medal with the 2000 USA
Olympic women's basketball team.

Last year, Holdsclaw played in 23 games for Washington, averaging 19
points and 8.3 rebounds. She left the team for the final 11 regular
season and two playoff games for undisclosed reasons. She later
revealed that she had been suffering from depression.

Milton-Jones, a popular player in Los Angeles, has been considered
one of the league's best defenders as well as a solid offensive
complement to reigning league MVP Lisa Leslie.

In her six seasons with the Sparks, who took her in the first round
of the 1999 draft out of Florida University, Milton-Jones, 30,
averaged 11.2 points and six rebounds. She also won a gold medal in
the 2000 Games, and was part of the USA teams that won gold medals at
the Fiba 2000 and 2002 world championships. Like Holdsclaw, Milton-
Jones is listed at 6-1, 172 pounds.

Her 2004 season was restricted to 19 games because of knee injuries
sustained overseas in Russia and during the WNBA season in July. She
averaged 9.8 points and 4.7 rebounds.

The Sparks are still looking for a head coach after Michael Cooper,
who guided the team to WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002, left last
season to take an assistant coach position with the Denver Nuggets.
Interim co-coach Karleen Thompson has been hired by the Houston
Comets, and Ryan Weisenberg, the other co-coach, is back on the L.A.
Lakers staff.

Among those candidates reportedly interested in the Sparks job is
former USC men's coach Henry Bibby, who was fired four games into the
2004-05 college season. Buss would neither confirm nor deny Bibby's
interest.

"We'd like to have a coach in place by the [April 16] draft," Buss
said. "But it's not that critical since we no longer have a first
round pick."