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#ShrinkTheGame: 13 Days of WNBA
Day 8: Los Angeles Sparks (Happy Mother's Day!)
Fred S
May 11, 2025
With just 13 days remaining until the official start of the WNBA season, I’ll be counting down with a daily mini preview of each of the league’s 13 teams. Stay tuned as we break down what to watch, who to watch, and what to expect from every squad.
Table of Contents
Training Camp and Preseason Reminder
Teams are inviting a ton of players to training camp to battle it out for roster spots. Each team can bring in up to 18 players, so expect to see a lot of additions over the next few days.
To stay updated on who’s in and out of camp, check out Across the Timeline and the WNBA Transaction page.
The Sparks: Where the Face Card Never Declines
The Sparks finally feel like they’re on the upside of their rebuild. This process began with the unceremonious benching & departure of Candace Parker, the firing of Derek Fisher, and the eventual departure of longtime franchise cornerstone Nneka Ogwumike.
Now, with the arrival of Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby coming into her own, a new coaching staff, and their star sophomore class of Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink, the Sparks appear ready to enter a new era.
Last season showed signs of a promising future. Cam Brink had an impressive rookie campaign, finishing second in blocks despite only playing 15 games before suffering an ACL tear. Rickea Jackson also showed major promise in year one, averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. While Brink won’t return until mid-June, both she and Rickea look poised to take a big leap this year.
In Unrivaled, Hamby, Azurá Stevens, Rae Burrell, and Rickea Jackson all showed clear signs of growth and development. Hamby spoke about learning how to lead younger players while playing on Team Vinyl alongside Rae. We finally got to see a healthy Azurá again, and she reminded everyone of the dominant force she can be, making it all the way to the semifinals of the one-on-one tournament. Rae also made noticeable strides on the court, particularly in her technique and decision-making. As for Rickea, she’s always had confidence, but refining her outside shot remains a key step. Once she adds that consistency, she’ll be even more lethal on the floor.
The Sparks made it a priority to build around Hamby and their sophomore core, adding elite point guard Odyssey Sims, trading the No. 2 pick for Kelsey Plum, and extending their versatile forward, Azurá. This team is going to be much more competitive this season and has a real shot at making the playoffs.
I would be remiss if I didn’t say that this team could give the Aces a run for the most personality. This will definitely be my sidepiece team lol
What to Look Out For:
Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby: Can these former teammates — and once-again best friends — rekindle the on-court chemistry they had in San Antonio and Las Vegas? Has enough time passed for old wounds to heal and synergy to return?
Sophomore Watch: Will Rickea Jackson and Cam Brink hit a sophomore slump, or are they poised for a breakout? Their growth this season could define the Sparks' trajectory.
Odyssey Sims: Despite years of being overlooked, shuffled between hardship contracts and short-term stints with Dallas and LA, Sims has consistently proven she’s a top-tier point guard. Now, finally signed for a full season, I’m excited to see what she can accomplish with some long-overdue stability.
Question Marks
The Sparks' new coach emphasizes a five-out offense and three-point shooting. Will that system work for a team with relatively few proven shooters?
Is this a playoff team?
Can Kelsey Plum lead a team?
Is Dearica Hamby the leader of this team?
CAP SPACE: $251,968
Free Agency and Roster Updates
Signed | Training Camp Contract | Waived/Traded | WNBA Draft Picks |
|---|---|---|---|
Kelsey Plum- signed a below supermax deal of $202,000 | Zia Cooke (waived) | Round 1: #9 Sarah Ashlee Barker. (Alabama) | |
Oydessy Sims -re-signed to a one-year $130,00 deal | Anneli Maley | Lexie Brown (Traded) | Round 2: #21 Sania Feagin (South Carolina) |
Shaneice Swain- rookie scale contract for $69,267 | Round 3: #30 Liatu King (Notre Dame) | ||
Mercedes Russel, one year, $160,00 | Undrafted Invites: Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng (Both UNC) |
The Coaches + Front Of House Staff
The veteran coach was hired by Utah in 2015, going 18-15 in her first year after taking over a 9-21 team. Roberts led the Utes to the Sweet Sixteen in 2023 and won the Pac-12 regular season championship. Her teams spent 40 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 25 and 14 straight weeks in the Top 10, ranking as high as No. 2 in the nation. Average home attendance in Roberts’ tenure skyrocketed from 594 to 7,209. At Utah, Roberts coached 2024 No. 8 overall draft pick Alissa Pili and 2019 third-round selection Megan Huff.
Mike Neighbors, a longtime NCAA head coach, joins the Sparks after a successful run leading programs at Washington and Arkansas. He guided Washington to its first-ever Final Four in 2016 alongside Kelsey Plum and notched three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. At Arkansas, Neighbors posted the program’s best SEC finish and led major upsets over Baylor and UConn. With 246 career wins, he holds the most victories of any Power 5 coach in 12 or fewer seasons.
Sed Everett joins the Sparks with over 13 years of coaching and player development experience, having trained stars like Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, and DeMarcus Cousins. A leader in elite youth basketball since 2016, Everett has helped over 60 athletes earn college scholarships and brings a proven track record to the Sparks’ player development program.
Blue, who hails from Bakersfield, was interim head coach for the Mercury’s final 28 games of the 2023 WNBA season. Prior to assuming the interim position with Phoenix, Blue served as assistant coach within the organization beginning in 2022. The former WNBA player spent 14 seasons previously as a Division I women’s basketball assistant coach, including stints at University of Nevada – Las Vegas, CSU Bakersfield, Grand Canyon University and Arizona State University.
Buncik coached on the Wings’ staff for the past three seasons, beginning as player development coach from 2022-23 before being promoted to assistant coach ahead of last season. Prior to his time with the Wings, the Fort Worth native ran Zak Buncik Player Development, a player development program, where he trained WNBA and NBA players. Buncik was an assistant coach for the University of Texas - Arlington’s men’s basketball team from 2009-2018, directed basketball operations for the team during the 2007-08 campaign and served as a student assistant 2005-07.
Hoops & Hype: Media Picks
Check out some of the cool podcasts, videos, reads, and fashion I saw this week.
@losangelessparks The reigning half-court champ is here to defend her crown at any expense - Rae catching strays. 😭 #WNBA #shootaround #LASparks
@losangelessparks KP & Dearica back together again. #WNBA #LaSparks #DearicaHamby #KelseyPlum
@losangelessparks We have some grievances to air. We asked the players to name their biggest pet peeve. 🎤 #LASparks #WNBA #petpeeve #tinymic
Sparks to Retire Legend Candace Parker's No. 3 Jersey on June 29.
📝 bit.ly/4iV4N1O
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks)
4:35 PM • Mar 27, 2025
