(SCREENCAP: Los Angeles Sparks)
I’m going into my third year of covering the Los Angeles Sparks. And of course, the coverage starts with the draft. With the second pick going to Seattle as part of the Kelsey Plum deal, I was really curious on what L.A. would do with the 9th pick they received in return from the complex three-way trade.
A few days before, I was just going through the possible picks. Then while watching a highlight video, it suddenly hit me.
(I didn’t know how badly I wanted to be right about this prediction.)
I thought the Sparks needed a big playmaking guard in the worst way. The lack of height and length really bothered the team last season so I thought someone like 6’2” Serena Sundell (who can also play tough defense in addition to her passing that led Division I in assists) from Kansas State could really balance the backcourt. Even though most mock drafts had Sundell much lower than ninth, I thought it would be a perfect fit.
I told a few friends about my choice. This was five days before the draft. Would the Sparks have the same wavelength as this handsome media member that covers them? Or would I end up looking dumb for even thinking about the choice?
I went to Watch Me Sports Bar, which has kind of become my hangout in 2025, to watch the draft as the team wasn’t having a watch party. Met up with the wonderful Kris, who is part of WNBA Club L.A., as well as homeslice Angel, who has been a wonderful friend and supporter since I met her at a Sparks game a few months ago.
The draft started out with the expected. And also a bit of a heartbreak because if the wind blew maybe a bit to the West, this woman would be playing for the Sparks come May.
As I obnoxiously alluded to it, it was no surprise that the prize of the 2025 WNBA Draft, Paige Bueckers, got selected by the Dallas Wings.
The draft really didn’t get weird until the Valkyries selected Juste Jocyte from Lithuania with their first-ever draft choice at the 5 spot. And in another bit of surprise, Georgia Amoore, who was the Sparks’ choice in a lot of mock drafts, became the sixth overall pick and the third by the Mystics in the first round.
Then the moment of truth came as the announcement for the ninth pick was about to be made. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert went to the podium.
“The Los Angeles Sparks select S…”
I got excited for about 0.025 seconds.
“…Sarah Ashlee Barker, University of Alabama!”
It wasn’t a bad pick by any means. The 6-foot Barker had an incredible 45-point performance in the second round of the NCAA tournament last month. She is physical on both ends of the court. She gives the needed size in the Sparks backcourt. And a good playmaker to boot.
I wanted Serena, though, and I was sure that she wasn’t going to be available by the next Sparks pick, which was slotted at the 21st spot.
The draftees were announced. It seemed to go by quickly. Sometimes, too quickly (work on this one, WNBA and ESPN). After back-to-back players for the Fever were shown on the screen, the Sparks were back on the clock. Surely, Los Angeles couldn’t pass on her again as she was still one of the few draft invitees still sitting there.
“The Los Angeles Sparks select S…”
I felt it for another 0.025 seconds…
”…Sania Feagin from the University of South Carolina!”
Also not a bad pick by any means. Feagin comes from a winning program in Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team. She’s got two NCAA championships. An excellent pick, especially this late.
I didn’t hold much hope after that. The Sparks had one last pick at #28 but Serena was taken by the Seattle Storm two selections before that at 26. L.A. took Liatu King from Notre Dame, who averaged a double-double in points and boards last season.
Overall, the Sparks had a good draft. As always, teams like the Sparks are going to make some difficult cuts on the roster (they are at 18 players at the time of this writing) and we’re going to see some really really good players get let go. It’s an exciting time for the Sparks as they try to pull themselves off the bottom with new star Kelsey Plum teaming up with old teammate Dearica Hamby and seeing the progress of Rickea Jackson, Rae Burrell, and, when she returns, Cameron Brink.
It was a really good time at Watch Me. Officially met Kaitlyn Laabs, the director of Untapped, which is a documentary on the rise of women’s sports bars around the country. Got to chop it up with people about the draft. And I’m probably known as the weirdo that’s suddenly become Serena Sundell’s #1 fan.
I want everybody to do well. But of course, I want the Sparks to do well the most. And here’s hoping for a good season from them in 2025.
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. Then he covered the Sparks as a beat writer for the Sporting Tribune the last two years.