Coffey inspired by older sister on Sparks
From Minnetonka, Minnesota, to Los Angeles, California — oh, the places that orange ball has taken the Coffey kids.
Amir Coffey — an athletic wing on a two-way contract — has spent his first season-plus working to gain a foothold with the Clippers. Last week, another of L.A.’s other professional basketball teams announced that it brought aboard a member of the Coffey family: The Sparks signed his older sister, Nia Coffey, to a training camp deal.
Like her 23-year-old brother, Nia is an athletic wing, a capable and improving 3-point shooter, both of them sturdy Midwestern stock, built for the long haul.
“I think through both of our careers, we’re going to go through tough patches, hard times,” said Amir, who signed with the Clippers last season after going undrafted out of Minnesota, where he started all 87 games he played in three seasons.
“But just sticking with that fight, continuing to get better — just stay even keel through the highs and lows,” he said. “I’m just proud of her with that news that she has, and then for myself just looking at the journey she’s going through, that gives me that sense of hard work and perseverance to go out there and just continue on my path.”
Amir spoke, via Zoom, before practice Wednesday, as the Clippers prepared for Thursday’s second-half opener against the Golden State Warriors. He rejoined the Clippers after spending time in the G League bubble with the Agua Caliente squad, for whom he averaged 18.4 points in his seven games.
Nia, a 6-foot-1 wing, lands in L.A. after having bounced around in her four WNBA seasons. In 2017, she was the fifth overall pick out of Northwestern by the San Antonio Stars, who became the Las Vegas Aces the next season. She spent her third season with the Atlanta Dream before joining the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA bubble last season.
“When you’re young, you’re so used to things working out and things moving, like, just flowing,” said Nia, a 25-year-old former Northwestern star who will fight to make the Sparks’ 12-woman roster before the WNBA season starts this summer.
“I’ve definitely learned early on that in the W, it’s definitely important to find your way, find your niche, find your opportunity, find your team — and it can be difficult for some players,” Nia added. “So I try to just stay more focused on, ‘OK, what can I do, how can I get better? How can I grow? How can I add to a team?’ Instead of just focusing on outcome, because that takes away from the journey, so having the opportunity to come to this organization.”