COOPER NEXT COACH OF SPARKS?

Byline: Pamela Lewis Staff Writer

Former Lakers guard Michael Cooper is expected to be named head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, if contract terms can be worked out, a team source said Wednesday.

A deal could be reached by the end of the week that would make Cooper the Sparks' fourth coach in four WNBA seasons.

Cooper, an assistant with the Sparks last season, is expected to replace Orlando Woolridge, whose one-year contract was not renewed. Cooper immediately became a front-runner for the position.

``We are still meeting, so hopefully we'll know something by the end of the week,'' said Marni Colbert, Cooper's agent.

Cooper was credited with installing an effective defensive system for the Sparks, who completed their first winning season (20-12) in August and made their first WNBA playoff appearance in the league's three-year history. They took eventual three-time champion Houston to a decisive third game in the Western Conference finals.

Cooper was rumored to be a candidate as the franchise's first coach, but other obligations prevented him from pursuing the job. He was hired as the Sparks assistant May 3.

A third-round draft pick out of New Mexico in 1978, Cooper, a native of Pasadena, was known for his defensive prowess with the Lakers, helping them win five NBA titles in the 1980s. He retired in 1990.

Cooper worked the previous four years as an NBA, college and high school commentator with Fox Sports.