LOS ANGELES - The Sparks secured the second overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, marking the second consecutive year they have selected second overall after choosing Cameron Brink from Stanford in 2024.
They secured the second overall pick and also hold the 13th, 26th, and 28th overall picks.
“We’re happy to have the second pick in next year’s draft,” LA Sparks General Manager Raegan Pebley said.
“Holding a lottery pick in 2025’s deep draft guarantees we’ll be able to add an impactful player to our roster at a pivotal time in our history. Our staff is already hard at work exploring all our options in the lottery and with our other three picks.”
UConn's Paige Bueckers is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and is known for being a game-changer on the court. However, it's still too early to determine if she is a definite choice for the top spot, as USC's Kiki Iriafen and UCLA's Janiah Barker are also strong contenders for next year's draft.
Bueckers, a redshirt senior, missed the entire last season due to a knee injury. However, she is expected to make a full recovery and play this season. Iriafen was named the most improved player in the Pac-12 last season, averaging 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
Additionally, LSU's Aneesah Morrow, a senior, is a strong candidate to be a top-three pick. She averages 16.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Four teams—the Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and Los Angeles Sparks—had a chance to win the first overall pick on Sunday. Dallas won the lottery and will pick first in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
The Chicago Sky will select third overall, followed by the Washington Mystics at fourth overall.
The newly added Golden State Valkyries, as an expansion team, will automatically draft fifth overall.
The Las Vegas Aces will forfeit their first-round draft pick as a penalty handed down to the organization following an investigation into allegations involving former Aces forward Dearica Hamby, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
The lottery odds were determined from records over the last two seasons, using the famous ping-pong balls. The Sparks have lost 55 of their last 80 games.
The Los Angeles Sparks have had only two first-round picks since the league began in 1997, selecting Candace Parker in 2008 and Nneka Ogwumike in 2012. They have experienced four consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, finishing this past season with the worst record in the league at 8-32. This comes despite having drafted two of the first four picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Cameron Brink suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the year, which hindered the Sparks' ability to gain momentum during a challenging season. Head coach Curt Miller was eventually dismissed from his position at the end of the season.
Miller recently joined the Dallas Wings' front office as the General Manager. After coaching the Sparks for the past two seasons, he now has the opportunity to enhance the Wings organization by securing a win in the Draft Lottery.
The Sparks are still searching for a new head coach and considering their future second overall pick, which could be either Iriafen from USC or Azzi Fudd from UConn.