DeLisha Milton-Jones takes her rightful place amongst Sparks legends

LOS ANGELES — On Tuesday night, the Sparks added another jersey up in the rafters of Crypto.Com Arena.

In what was a long overdue ceremony, two-time WNBA champion and two-time All-Star DeLisha Milton-Jones’ jersey was retired by the Sparks at halftime of the Sparks/Liberty game. She initially chose to play for the Portland Power in the ABL (American Basketball League) before getting picked by the Sparks in the 1999 Supplemental Draft after the ABL folded. An integral part of the back-to-back championship teams, Milton-Jones played 11 of her 17 seasons in Los Angeles. In her tenure with the Sparks, she averaged 11.7 points. 5.5 boards, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Milton-Jones last played in the league in 2015 and retired in 2016.

“Some things are worth the wait and this is definitely one of them,” Milton-Jones said in a press conference before the Sparks’ game against the Liberty. “The feelings that I have, they’re all over the place. But they’re settling into feeling something similar to when you go home and it’s a family reunion and you’re seeing a lot of people that you know and love and they love you back just the same.”

Milton-Jones was asked what she would tell children that have dreams of getting to the honor of getting their jersey retired on the rafters.

“Wow, what do you tell a kid? Just do what I did,” Milton-Jones answered. “You just put your head down and grind. The work will take care of itself, even if it may have to come later. But that still doesn’t mean it can’t be greater. And that’s the very moment that I’m living in right now. Yes, there have been managerial changes. Yes, I may have been lost in the shuffle of things. But, no, people did not forget me and they did not forget the body of work that I put in for the Sparks.

“They have my blood, sweat, tears, my soul,” Milton-Jones continued. “I left everything here in L.A. and it’s so good to be able to come back and feel welcomed and now to have my name in the rafters where I was one of many, now I’m one of few. And I’m sitting amongst a lot of elite individuals that I’m super proud to be a part of.”

Milton-Jones was known for having two nicknames: Sunshine and D-Nasty.

“Sunshine is that individual that you’ll get every single day,” Milton-Jones said. “For sure off the court, sometimes on the court. Sunshine is full of love and consideration. She’s very empathetic and I just want to leave everyone with an amazing experience whenever they’re in close proximity of me.

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Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; The retired Los Angeles Sparks jersey of DeLisha Milton-Jones (8) is revealed during halftime between the Sparks and the New York Liberty at Crypto.com Arena.

Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; The retired Los Angeles Sparks jersey of DeLisha Milton-Jones (8) is revealed during halftime between the Sparks and the New York Liberty at Crypto.com Arena.

“D-Nasty, that’s my alter ego,” Milton-Jones cheekily said. ” I had to have someone to counterbalance who Sunshine was because I could not bring Sunshine on the court or I would not be sitting here today. Probably would have been cut in week one, you know. But D-Nasty is tenacious. D-Nasty is relentless. D-Nasty is someone who loves the defensive side of the ball. Everything starts on the defensive end for her. That’s how I get myself going. Michael Cooper ingrained in us that defense wins championships. And the first time I heard him say that was the first time I fell in love with the quest of wanting to be a champion within the WNBA. And it’s a mantra that I still live by and coach by currently.”

The head coach of Old Dominion reflected on her journey from Georgia to getting her jersey retired.

“Now, when I look at going up in the rafters, my gosh, monumental,” Milton-Jones said. “Simply monumental. And it’s something that I’m so damn proud of because it’s a culmination of all of my work, all of my sacrifice, the things that people saw and the things that people will never begin to understand. So this moment on this day, while it may be 10, 11 years later than I would have expected, still amazing.”

It may have taken longer than it should have. But DeLisha Milton-Jones takes her place along with Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Penny Toler as one of the few jerseys retired by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Maybe she was forgotten for a bit. Maybe she was lost in the shuffle. But with this retirement, the name of DeLisha Milton-Jones will live forever. And she deserved that more than anything.