LOS ANGELES -- Rebounding has always been a staple of Liatu King’s game, from her time at Pitt where she won the ACC Most Improved Player award as a senior, to her graduate year at Notre Dame in 2024 snagging 342 rebounds—the 4th most in school history. The six-foot forward brings an intensity and hustle to a Sparks roster that’s desperate for healthy bodies, but her ability to rebound from adversity off the court has been just as beneficial as her physical rebounding on the court.
Drafted 28th overall by the Sparks in the 2025 draft, the rookie was waived during training camp on May 11th–one week before the start of the regular season.
“I was able to walk away from that conversation with my head high knowing that I did everything I could do, and sometimes it still doesn’t work out your way, ” King said before last Friday’s game against Golden State.
Always ready for her next opportunity, the former Irish star returned to Notre Dame and continued training until the Sparks called her back on May 18th. L.A. started the season without Cameron Brink or Julie Allemand, both recovering from serious knee injuries, and lost both Rae Burrell (leg) and Rickea Jackson (concussion) in the first two games.
“You never know when your name’s going to be called,” King continued, “I was just able to be ready and take advantage of the opportunity.” The Sparks signed her on May 20th to a rest-of-season hardship contract.
As the WNBA’s exploding popularity has enticed many new fans to the league–spectators are often shocked at the sheer amount of roster turnover and cuts during training camp–often to heralded rookies coming out of college. In 2021, the Indiana Fever’s 4th overall draft pick and First Team All-Big 12 star Kysre Gondrezick was cut after playing just 19 games for the franchise.
Three time All-Big Ten and former Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year star Shyanne Sellers was waived by the Golden State Valkyries during training camp this year even though she was picked 17th overall by the expansion team in this year’s draft. Not even league veterans are safe: The Connecticut Sun sent shockwaves throughout the league when they cut eight-year vet and WNBA champion Diamond DeShields. In a league with only 13 teams and 12 roster spots each—jobs are few and far between.
Sparks forward Emma Cannon is no stranger to the W’s cutthroat nature. Undrafted out of Florida Southern, Cannon had stops in Germany, Australia, and Russia before signing with the Phoenix Mercury in 2017 as a 28-year-old rookie. She has become a positive mentor for King throughout the process.
“When [Liatu] got cut, I reached out to her and I just let her know that, just because that happened, doesn’t mean you’re not great first and foremost, [or] that you’re not capable of making it in this league,” Cannon said before Sunday's matchup against the Chicago Sky, “and look… we ended up calling her back.”
“I talked with Emma during training camp and she was just letting me know her route,” King said, adding that Cannon told her “don’t give up because there’s so many opportunities.”
“She’s doing great,” Cannon finished, “so I just try to make sure that our younger kids know that even if you’re not playing right now, or if you do get some time on the court or whatnot, you go out there and give it your all everyday, because this is a blessing and itself. It’s only so many spots in the WNBA. So if you can own one, it’s great, so just make sure you make the best out of this opportunity when it’s given to you.”
King has played in all three of the Sparks games since she re-signed last week, following up on her intense play in a very physical league. “I’m here to be a tenacious rebounder,” King continued, “That’s something that I feel like is a lost art…I feel like everybody at this level can score, that’s almost a given. No game ends 0-0, so I’m just trying to set myself apart by getting offensive boards and getting stops on defense.”
When Rickea Jackson, Rae Burrell, or Cameron Brink come back, playing time could stretch thin for the rookie rebounder. But King’s faith and tenacity allow her to keep her head held high. “We’ve got to remember as people, as athletes, God’s plan supersedes our plan,” she finished. “Things happen, stuff changes in the W all the time, and especially now with the expansion of teams coming in, you can’t have your head held down if things don’t go your way. You’ve got to always be ready.”
