LOS ANGELES — The Sparks are prepared to draft the best available players with the second and fourth picks in Monday’s WNBA draft, according to first-year general manager Raegan Pebley, who believes both rookies can become foundational players.
“They’re an incredible opportunity for our organization,” Pebley said. “We definitely want to see two players that not only have the skill set to make an impact early but also have a long run way ahead of them, opportunities to develop, opportunities to not only be excellent in what they do but how they impact the other pieces around them as we continue to build this team.”
The Sparks were 17-23 last season and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The offseason also saw the departure of franchise great Nneka Ogwumike, who signed as a free agent with the Seattle Storm, and All-Defensive first-team point guard Jordin Canada, who was traded to the Atlanta Dream.
With the third-most chances to win the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft lottery in December, the Sparks came up just short as the top pick went to the Indiana Fever, who are widely expected to select Iowa high-scoring superstar Caitlin Clark, who led her team to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA championship game.
ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo believes the Sparks will select Stanford’s Cameron Brink with the No. 2 pick.
The 6-foot-4 power forward averaged a double-double with 17.4 points and 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game and was recently named the Naismith Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year. The 2021 NCAA champion is also an intriguing prospect after shooting 30.4% from 3-point range and 83.6% from the free-throw line last season.
“I do think Brink is going to go second, but I would not be shocked if there’s some of that kind of stuff in play,” Lobo said.
The Sparks acquired the fourth pick and guard Kia Nurse from Seattle on Jan. 31 in exchange for their 2026 first-round pick, but whom the Sparks select depends on what Chicago does with its No. 3 pick.
South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso averaged 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks on 59.4% shooting as a senior. The 6-foot-7 center had been projected by many to be drafted by the Sparks with the fourth pick before the NCAA Tournament. However, after Cardoso led the Gamecocks to an undefeated national championship, some believe she might be the Sky’s No. 3 selection.
If that scenario plays out, the choice at No. 4 could be Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson, a 6-foot-2 small forward who averaged 20.2 points and 8.2 rebounds as a senior.
“For her to be on a professional floor with defensive three seconds and players around her where she can have space to operate, I can see her again hitting some of those tough shots and being aggressive in moments where she needs to,” ESPN analyst Andraya Carter said. “Rickea also has the ability to pass whether it’s the skip pass or anything like that.
“I see Rickea, with her shot-making and thinking aggressive, making an impact on a team in the W. Tough shot-making translates and you would think she would have a little more space to operate at the next level.”
If Jackson goes to the Sky at No. 3, it could open the door for the Sparks to pair Cardoso with Brink, creating a dynamic shot-blocking frontcourt duo with outstanding length and defensive instincts.
Another option for the Sparks at No. 4 is UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, a 6-foot-3 power forward who averaged 17.6 points and 9.2 rebounds on 59.3% shooting from the field.
The Sparks at one point had three of the top eight picks in the draft. One day after acquiring the fourth pick and Nurse, they shipped Canada, in a sign-and-trade deal, and the 12th pick to Atlanta for the eighth pick and guard Aari McDonald.
The Sparks ended up flipping the eighth pick to Chicago in February for point guard Julie Allemand, the rights to center Li Yueru and a 2025 third-round selection.
Whomever the Sparks select, Pebley said the rookies will earn whatever playing time and role they receive under head coach Curt Miller.
“I do believe this is an opportunity here as we build this team that a lot of players are going to get an opportunity to show what they can do,” Pebley continued, who played in the WNBA from 1997-1998 and was a 20-year NCAA women’s basketball head coach until 2023. “This is probably the coach in me: I think you earn the role that you want and when you receive a role, you have to be a good steward of it.
“You need to continue to thrive in it and protect it, so I anticipate that we’re going to have a training camp that is going to be really competitive and I think competition has an opportunity to bring the best out of each person and out of our team.”
In addition to two of the top four picks in the first round, the Sparks also have a third-round pick (28th overall).
WNBA DRAFT
When: 4:30 p.m. PT Monday
Where: Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, N.Y.
TV: ESPN
