LOS ANGELES (April 6, 2023) – The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that they have hired Emily Blurton as the team’s Strength and Performance Coach.
“I am looking forward to having Emily as an intricate piece of our Sparks Sports Medicine and Performance Team,” said Sparks Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer Courtney Watson. “We really appreciate her years of dedication to enhancing sports medicine and are excited to add her expertise to our team this season.”
Blurton joins the Sparks after seven seasons, including two championship runs with the Seattle Storm where she served as the Assistant Sport Performance Coach. Her primary responsibilities there were designing and implementing programs tailored to individual players that focused on finding balance across all aspects of their health and performance. A main point of emphasis for her was checking in with players about their fatigue and stress management and helping them maintain a good equilibrium while playing here and overseas.
“I feel privileged for the opportunity to join Sparks and to grow and collaborate with this elite group of professionals that has been brought together on and off the court,” said Blurton. “I think the vision behind this next era for the Sparks is incredibly exciting and I’m eager to see what can be achieved through the unified passion and commitment amongst this group.”
Most recently, she had the opportunity to join the USA Women’s Basketball camp in February in Minneapolis alongside Sparks Head Coach Curt Miller as the team’s Sport Performance Coach. Additionally, she has worked alongside former USA Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach Susan Borchardt at The Athlete Blueprint where she specializes in recovery enhancement. Together they develop individualized routines and programs for players to recover after games and practices to maintain their performance throughout the course of a season and their careers.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS
Founded in 1996, the Los Angeles Sparks are one of three original franchises in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Sparks have won three WNBA Championships (2001, 2002, 2016), have qualified for the playoffs in 20 of their 26 seasons and remain the only active team in the league to win back-to-back titles. The Los Angeles Sparks are dedicated to ensuring each home game at Crypto.com Arena has a championship level entertainment experience while showcasing the best female athletes from around the world on the court. LA Sparks 2023 season tickets are available here for purchase.