Golden State Valkyries Expansion Draft Speculation Series: Los Angeles Sparks

Expected to still be on the rebuilding path, the Sparks struggled all season long, with injuries not helping, and found themselves eliminated from the playoffs first, also clinching the worst two-year record that is used to determine draft lottery placement. Even with the struggles, the team has a number of promising young players and proven veterans on their roster and then will have tricky decisions to make for this process. Depending on which players are left unprotected, there are different strategies for the Valkyries could use in deciding who they might want to pick.

Salary and contract status for 2025 from Her Hoop Stats as sourced by Richard Cohen:
https://herhoopstats.com/salary-cap-sheet/wnba/team/2024/los-angeles-sparks-11eaecc7-3579-2ce8-b611-2362f5011b0b/

Hypothetical Protection Priority Order

1. Rickea Jackson ($78,066, 2nd year rookie scale)
2. Cameron Brink ($78,066, 2nd year rookie scale)
3. Dearica Hamby ($202,000 guaranteed)
4. Azura Stevens ($195,000 guaranteed)
5. Stephanie Talbot ($125,000 guaranteed)
6. Aari McDonald (restricted free agent)
7. Li Yueru (reserved)
8. Rae Burrell ($125,000)
9. Julie Allemand ($85,000)
10. Zia Cooke ($76,630, 3rd year rookie scale)
11. Lexie Brown ($96,408 guaranteed, $98,818 guaranteed in 2026)
12. Kia Nurse (unrestricted free agent)
13. Maria Kliundikova (exclusive rights, if draftable)
14. Layshia Clarendon ($100,000, announced retirement)
Unprotectable: Crystal Dangerfield (hardship contract), Odyssey Sims (hardship contract)

Locks for Protection

With two lottery picks in the last draft, the team knew that its rookies would be a big focus this year. Rickea Jackson had an excellent season and looks to be a key part of the squad going forward. Cameron Brink suffered a season-ending injury after 15 games, but will also be protected as a part of the future. In a difficult season, Dearica Hamby was a stabilizing force in the lineup and was fantastic as a veteran presence so they will want her to continue in her role.

Tough Team Decisions

The team successfully signed extensions with two veterans after the trade deadline, signaling interest from both sides for next year so it seems likely that both Azura Stevens and Stephanie Talbot will be protected. Since neither would have likely been a Valkyrie target for selection and the core tag, it would be awkward for future player relationships to risk having either player picked after committing to the team now that they have contracts. When the team is fully healthy, Stevens would be a backup frontcourt player while Talbot would provide versatile coverage at the wing.

The Sparks made multiple trades during the offseason that ended up netting three players. After Jordin Canada indicated that she did not want to return to the team under the core designation, they traded her with a draft pick, receiving a draft pick in return as well as Aari McDonald, who they were hoping would slot into the starting point guard spot. She did have a solid run in the middle of the season, but she did not fully grab the role and it is hard to know what market she might have as a restricted free agent.

The draft pick received in that trade was then sent to Chicago to bring in a pair of players. Julie Allemand was expected to also compete for time at the point guard, but she ended up suffering a long-term injury during the club season and the team suspended her contract knowing how long she would be unavailable. They are going to want to know what she can do, but it may be safe to leave her unprotected as she is still getting back to full strength and may also miss a significant portion of next season for national team play. The other player in that trade was Li Yueru, who was the backup center and at times really flashed some ability. Because of her unusual transaction history, there has been no final ruling on whether she is an unrestricted free agent or if the Sparks still hold her exclusive rights, which will make a difference on whether they have to consider protecting her or will leave her unprotected.

One of the unexpected moves of free agency involved the team signing Rae Burrell to a contract well above the minimum. That contract did not mean a massive increase in minutes at the wing and it seems unlikely that she will be targeted as an expansion pick with her remaining contract so they should be able to safely retain her and see if she can grow into a bigger role next season. Zia Cooke was the team’s top draft pick last year to add to their backcourt, but she had fewer opportunities this season and the team might not fear the effects of losing her if she is unprotected.

Likely Left Unprotected

Layshia Clarendon would have been higher up the list as a veteran backup point guard on a reasonable contract who also happened to play at Cal for college, but retired after the season having missed a number of games. Maria Kliundikova, who last played in the league in 2019 as Maria Vadeeva, still has her rights held by the team so she might be a player who they have to make a decision on officially. Having just taken all of last season off to get married and have a baby, she seems less likely than ever to make her way back to the league from Russia and will focus on regaining her title as the most productive post player there.

The Sparks may be interested in having Kia Nurse return to bolster the backcourt, but given that she would unlikely be a player targeted for a core designation by the Valkyries, there is no real reason to protect her. Lexie Brown is a solid combo guard, but she has missed significant portions of the last two seasons with health issues, making it unlikely that she would be selected given the two guaranteed years on her contract still. The team signed Crystal Dangerfield and Odyssey Sims to at least complete the season with experienced point guards, but both were on hardship contracts so they are free to sign with any team and cannot be picked in this draft.

The Valkyries Perspective

The Sparks are one of the teams that have multiple possibilities for protection, possibly leaving the Valkyries waiting until the final list to formulate a plan, but this might not be the team with possibilities to excite fans. If they prioritize their younger players and leave either Azura Stevens or Stephanie Talbot unprotected, they could be targets. If Li Yueru is considered reserved and left unprotected, she would be one of a number of center options. The Sparks could also leave Aari McDonald unprotected as the Valkyries may not want to take on a player when there is uncertainty about whether other teams would sign the Fresno native to an offer sheet that might not be worth matching.

The Valkyries may end up picking more players than they intend to keep given their entry draft selections and free agency. Choosing a player like Zia Cooke would allow them to bring her to camp while she is still in the middle of her rookie contract and compete for a spot on the final roster. If Julie Allemand also does not play next season, her team would retain her rights again so that could provide additional long-term value.