LOS ANGELES _ The Los Angeles Sparks have fired executive vice president and general manager Penny Toler in the aftermath of a profanity-laced tirade directed at players that included a racial epithet following a playoff loss in the WNBA semifinals.
The team announced Friday that Toler, a founding member of the WNBA as a player and the Sparks' general manager for 20 years, has been relieved of her duties immediately. Managing partner Eric Holoman will take over her duties as the club searches for a replacement.
"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."
The Sparks said in a statement that a national search for a new general manager would begin immediately.
Toler played for the Sparks from 1997-99. During her tenure as general manager the club won WNBA titles in 2001, 2002 and 2016 while qualifying for the playoffs 18 times.
She scored the first basket in WNBA history and averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 88 games, 62 of which she started.
The 5-foot-8 guard from Washington, D.C., played at Long Beach State and became the 49ers' career leader in assists and free-throw percentage at the time. She was the conference player of the year in 1988 and co-player of the year in 1989.
