REFILE-Basketball-LA Sparks general manager ditched after rant at players

The general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks Women's NBA team was fired on Friday after ESPN reported that she made racially insensitive remarks in a profanity-laced rant at the players.

Penny Toler's tirade came after the Sparks last month lost game two of their WNBA semi-finals against the Connecticut Sun, who went on to sweep the series 3-0. Toler, who is African-American, acknowledged in an interview with ESPN on Thursday that she had used a racial epithet but said her remarks were not directed at the players.

"By no means did I call my players the n-word," she said. "I'm not saying that I couldn't have used it in a context, but it wasn't directed at any of my players."

Toler had been with the organization since 1999 Sparks managing partner and governor Eric Holoman said in a statement: "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," .

"Penny is a foundational figure in the growth of the WNBA and helped lead our franchise to perennial playoff success and multiple titles."