Pick and Roll: Sparks rebuild onto 2025

Welcome back to Pick and Roll, powered by FanDuel.

Join me and TSN.ca’s Brianne Spiker as we highlight everything you need to know about WNBA storylines as the season continues.

The New York Liberty are currently the best team in the league, while Las Vegas Aces centre A’ja Wilson appears on pace to win her third Most Valuable Player award.

Rookie phenoms Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have garnered most of the media attention this year, and for good reason, but the league has much more to offer.

This week, we’re taking a deeper dive into the season of the Los Angeles Sparks.

I’ll give you a few players and key storylines to follow, and stick around the end for Spiker’s thoughts.

Let’s get to the Sparks, shall we?

LOS ANGELES SPARKS STORYLINES

PLAYER TO WATCH

The 2024 season has been a bit of a breakout year for Sparks’ forward, Dearica Hamby.

After spending eight years with the San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas Aces franchise, the two-time all-star is in her second season with the Sparks, and she is balling out.

Hamby, 30, is currently averaging career-highs in both points (18.3) and rebounds (10.3) per game.

Her scoring average has her tied for 10th in the league and only three players are averaging more rebounds than her.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

This part of the article is supposed to be all about Cameron Brink. The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft hit the ground running to open her rookie campaign. Through 15 games, she was among the league leaders in blocks per game and just five games into the season, she set a career-high with 21 points. However, a torn ACL in June ended her season prematurely.

Now, the spotlight turns to the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft, Rickea Jackson. Jackson is third among all rookies in points per game with an average of 10.2 and might be getting more comfortable from beyond the arc as four of her 13 three-pointers this year have come in her last two games.

BETTING MARKETS

While many compelling storylines surround this team, winning basketball games isn’t one of them.

The 4-15 Sparks have a live win total of 9.5, with the under set at -128.

The -128 number implies a probability of 56.14 per cent.

Three of their four wins have come against teams under .500, while they are a league-worst 1-10 against teams with a winning record.

As of now, the Sparks play seven more games against teams with losing records.

The Sparks are 0-5 since losing Brink to injury.

SPIKER’S TAKE

The Sparks weren't a good team with Brink in the lineup and have struggled even more without her and it's a pattern that will continue this season. This is a rebuilding team, albeit one with some really good pieces in place. They have the ability to hang around in games but don't have the experience or overall skill to close things out. 

The aforementioned Jackson, Aari McDonald and Zia Cooke are all young players that have potential and are well surrounded by good veterans like Hamby, Kia Nurse and Layshia Clarendon to help them through the growing pains. 

The 2025 WNBA Draft is already brimming with elite talent like UConn's Paige Bueckers, Stanford's Kiki Iriafen and LSU's Aneesah Morrow. The Sparks can't go wrong with any of these three. More than anything, they need elite talent, position be damned. 

THE PICK

As Brianne said, all signs point to this team continuing its rebuild this year. And with a very competitive playoff battle among many of the teams in the league I expect this Sparks team to be circled as a “must win” most nights for desperate teams.

Maybe next year, Sparks fans. Give me under 9.5 wins.