(PHOTO CREDIT: Lance King/Getty Images.)
I attended the Sparks‘ Draft Lottery Watch Party at Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach on Sunday afternoon. But first, let’s talk about what was at stake.
The four teams that didn’t make the playoffs were put in a draft lottery to see who would get the first pick of the upcoming 2025 WNBA Draft. It’s widely expected that Paige Bueckers from UCONN would be that first selection. The Sparks had a 44.2 percent chance of getting the first pick while the Dallas Wings actually had a 45.4 percent chance due to the ability to swap picks with the Chicago Sky should the Sky have a higher pick than them.
Luck shined upon the Wings indeed. And for the second straight year, the Sparks got the second choice overall. As some of you guys know, the Sparks selected Cameron Brink in last year’s draft.
As for Bueckers, she chose to stay in school instead of coming out for the 2024 Draft. Among multiple accolades, Paige was the AP Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year in 2021 as well as the winner of the Wooden and Naismith awards that same campaign. She led the Huskies to the national championship finals that same season.
An ACL injury took her out of the 2022-23 season but she came back strong the next season as she led UCONN to the Final Four. Bueckers averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists last season.
Bueckers would have filled a lot of needs for the Sparks. She’s a celebral and methodical guard that can make the right plays whether it’s looking to get others involved or her own shot. And at 6′, she’s a big guard that can really give teams headaches on both ends. Many have said she’s a generational talent and it’s hard to disagree on that.
As for what the Sparks will do? They can keep the second pick or trade down. Kiki Iriafen from USC (after three years in Stanford; she was a teammate of Brink’s) has been mentioned as the best player outside of Bueckers but the Sparks are packed with frontcourt players. That doesn’t mean they’ll pass her up.
Another option would be Olivia Miles from Notre Dame, who is a bit shorter at 5’10” but is a capable rebounder in addition to her passing skills. Here’s also hoping she can stay healthy as she sat out the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Of course, the Sparks can dive into free agency and hope to find a capable lead guard there. Kelsey Plum and Courtney Vandersloot are two of the better free agents in that position.
As far as how the watch party went? It was fantastic to see a lot of fans that packed the Long Beach bar.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Los Angeles Sparks.)
Four Sparks players (Azurá Stevens, Rae Burrell, Dearica Hamby, and Cameron Brink) made an appearance to watch the draft lottery.
Rickea Jackson appeared in studio along with other team representatives in Maddy Siegrist (Wings), Angel Reese (Sky), and Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics).
But as mentioned earlier, the Sparks did not have as much luck as the Wings. The air seemed to be taken out of the bar once the results were revealed.
In a funny twist, Curt Miller, who left the Sparks after coaching them for two seasons, is now the Executive Vice-President and the General Manager of the Dallas Wings. Ain’t it funny how things turn out?
Still, the WNBA has come a long way. The league actually has a draft lottery program that can be dragged out for half an hour. And there was a large community of fans (shoutout to friends Linda and Michelle!) that gathered for this watch party.
Azurá Stevens vowed in her speech that the team is going to be a lot better than last year (they went 8-32 in 2024). Even with the Sparks’ current shortcomings in terms of team facilities (I’ve been pretty vocal about this) and record, there is still a lot of support for the WNBA team here in Los Angeles.
Hopefully, this all pays off in the near future.
Rey-Rey is all over social media. He’s on Threads, Bluesky, and the vomit-inducing Twitter (I refuse to call it with a certain single letter). In the past, he covered the NBA and the Lakers. Now he is currently covering the L.A. Sparks of the WNBA as a beat writer.
It feels 2010 again hanging out in the comments on your blog but in the best way possible. Thanks for sharing your experience. Always love your writing and perspective.
I wish I could relive 2010 all the time.
That means I’d stay 31 the entire time, right?