6 players Sparks should protect in WNBA expansion draft
When the 2025 WNBA season tips-off, there will be a new expansion team in the Golden State Valkyries. It’s the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. With the addition of the Valkyries will come an expansion draft. The Los Angeles Sparks, and every other team in the league, will be allowed to protect six players on their roster in the WNBA expansion draft.
The WNBA expansion draft is currently set for Dec. 6. The Valkyries will be permitted to select any player that is not protected by their respective team. One important factor to note is that players who have been cored twice already are not eligible to be selected in the expansion draft.
In the WNBA, players are allowed to be cored in free agency meaning their team has exclusive negotiating rights with the contract being at minimum, a one-year supermax deal. Otherwise, unrestricted free agents, restricted free agents and reserved free agents are all fair game to be selected by the Valkyries.
The Sparks currently don’t have any players who have given the core designation twice, meaning any of them can potentially be selected. With a little under two months until the WNBA expansion draft, here’s a look at the players the Sparks should protect.
1. Rickea Jackson
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This one is a no-brainer. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Rickea Jackson emerged as a legitimate go-to player by the second half of the 2024 season.
She has star potential and should be a major piece of the Sparks’ future plans. She was thought by many to be arguably the most WNBA-ready of the 2024 draft class and she certainly lived up to that assertion. Jackson was the only rookie last season to average double figures in scoring (13.4) while shooting 45+ percent from the field.
She has a bright future ahead of her with plenty of All-Star selections to come. She is the first player on the roster the Sparks should put down as protected.
2. Cameron Brink
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Another no-brainer. Despite missing most of the season due to an ACL injury, Brink immediately became one of the best defensive players in the WNBA. She only suited up in 15 games, but still finished second in the league in blocked shots (2.3) behind only Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.
The No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Brink has legitimate Defensive Player of the Year potential. She’s an anchor in the middle and also has the mobility and length to cover players on the perimeter. Her offensive game is still a work in progress, but she showed a nice touch around the basket while also being able to space the floor with her shooting.
Jackson and Brink, along with the Sparks’ 2024 lottery pick have the potential to form the best young core in the league. There should be no question as to protecting Brink.
3. Dearica Hamby
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During the 2024 season, Dearica Hamby emerged as a leader both on and off the court. Her impact on the team and on the younger players cannot be overstated. Not to mention that she’s a highly productive player coming off a career season.
Hamby put up career highs across the board in points (17.3), rebounds (9.2) and assists (3.5) while being named to her third career All-Star selection. She also signed a one-year contract extension, affirming her desire to stay with the Sparks.
With the Sparks still in the midst of a rebuild, a veteran like Hamby, who has won a championship and is playing at an All-Star level, is a necessity. And she’s still at the age where she can realistically be a part of the Sparks future when the young guns are ready to win.
4. Azurá Stevens
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Like Hamby, Azurá Stevens was also tasked with helping lead the locker room this year. She also has a championship under her belt and also signed a contract extension. Stevens is one of the most respected vets in the Sparks’ locker room and seems to enjoy playing in Los Angeles.
She’s a very good interior defender and in the mold of a true stretch-five. She took a career-high 4.0 attempts from three-point range this past season and knocked them down at a 35 percent clip. She’s also a double-double threat on most nights.
Again, with the Sparks still in rebuilding mode, veterans like Stevens are needed. She wants to be in LA, she has a strong rapport with the young players, she should be one of the players protected.
5. Rae Burrell
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After a couple of up and down seasons with the Sparks, Rae Burrell emerged this past season as a legitimate building block. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Burrell went from scarcely playing off the bench at the beginning of the season, to being a major rotation player.
What really stood out though was her aggressiveness and ability to get to the free-throw line. She averaged a career-high 2.7 attempts from the stripe and shot 78 percent. Her handle has improved tremendously and her body control allowed her to get into the paint and draw contact.
Burrell is still only 24 years old. She has her best years ahead of her. She can absolutely be a part of the rebuild and is definitely worth protecting in the expansion draft.
6. Li Yueru
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Going into the offseason, Li Yueru is a reserved free agent, meaning the Sparks have exclusive negotiating rights during the free agency period. But she’s still eligible to be selected in the WNBA expansion draft. This was kind of like Yueru’s real first season in the league since she arrived late and left early back in 2022 when she played for the Chicago Sky.
Yueru made tremendous strides from the beginning of the season to the end. She showed that she can be a capable low post threat while also spacing the floor with midrange and three-point shooting. She’s only 25 too so she fits the Sparks’ timeline for a rebuild.
The post 6 players Sparks should protect in WNBA expansion draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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