The Sparks entered the offseason in search of a new identity after finishing with the WNBA’s worst record. The silver lining? A shot at landing their point guard of the future in the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes.
Instead, after losing out on the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, the Sparks set the stage for a new era of basketball in L.A. when they sent their No. 2 selection to Seattle as part of a three-team trade to acquire All-Star Kelsey Plum from Las Vegas.
All that remained was rounding out the new-look roster.
With backcourt help a priority for the Sparks in the draft, they selected Sarah Ashlee Barker at No. 9.
Barker, considered one of the top shooting guards in the country last season, earned back-to-back All-SEC first-team honors and led Alabama to a second-round NCAA tournament appearance. The 23-year-old shooting guard proved to be an all-around threat, averaging 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. She also set the program’s single-game scoring record with 45 points in the second-round loss to Maryland.
The move adds depth to the backcourt, with Barker potentially set to complement Plum, who is expected to take on more point guard duties while helping the rookie develop at shooting guard — Plum’s primary position for most of her career.