Sparks bolster backcourt, selecting Sarah Ashlee Barker at No. 9 in WNBA draft
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By the time the Sparks were on the clock at No. 9 overall in Monday’s draft, an array of guards remained available late in the first round.
The choice to fill their most pressing roster need was easy — they landed the player they had circled on their draft board all along: Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker.
“She’s who we wanted going into this ninth pick,” first-year coach Lynne Roberts said. “So we were fired up when we were finally on the clock and we knew we were able to get whom we really wanted.”
This wasn’t the first time the Sparks had hoped to land Barker. When she first became eligible for the draft last year, the team had its eyes on her, but she ultimately chose to return to Alabama for another season.
L.A. didn’t let the opportunity slip the second time around — they made sure to get their shooting guard.
“We were able to watch her quite a bit last year, and I thought she made a bit of a risky decision, but she went for it,” Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said. “I thought that said something about the gutsiness of her. So we were watching her from the get-go of the season.”
Barker’s risk paid off. Considered one of the top shooting guards in the country last season, she earned back-to-back All-SEC first-team honors and led Alabama to a second-round NCAA tournament appearance.
The 23-year-old had the best season of her career, proving to be an all-around threat, averaging 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. But her standout performance in the NCAA Tournament cemented her as a household name.
In a double-overtime second-round loss to Maryland, she set Alabama’s single-game scoring record with 45 points. Additionally, her poise under pressure — sinking three straight free throws with less than a second remaining to force a second overtime — truly stood out.
“She turned into a meme, like, ‘If I send you this picture, it means I did all that I could,’” Pebley said. “That definitely was a cherry on top of her career.”
The addition of Barker was the silver lining for a Sparks team that entered the offseason searching for a new identity after finishing with the WNBA’s worst record — and missing out on the chance to land their point guard of the future in the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes.
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Barker may not have traded AL (Alabama) for L.A., the Sparks hadn’t traded their No. 2 selection in this year’s draft to Seattle as part of a three-team trade to acquire All-Star Kelsey Plum from Las Vegas.
Now, the selection 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.
Much of the draft unfolded according to plan, though moments left the Sparks’ war room stunned, especially with the level of talent that fell so late in the draft. A prime example was their second-round steal, South Carolina’s Sania Feagin.
The 6-foot-3 forward was invited to New York for the draft, signaling that she could be picked much earlier, something the organization anticipated might happen well before pick No. 21.
“Just as each pick was happening, we were like, ‘Oh, my goodness, it might happen,’” Pebley said, unable to contain her excitement. “We had a great meeting with her, and actually said to her, ‘Look, I don’t know that you’re going to be there and available for us, but we don’t want to miss this opportunity to establish a relationship.’”
What ultimately manifested was the Sparks strengthening their frontcourt rotation, adding depth at center for post play and rim protection. This move provides a fill-in role for low post, as Cameron Brink recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Feagin, known for her impressive wingspan, was named an All-SEC defensive selection and averaged 8.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. She played a key role in the Gamecocks’ run to the national championship game in April, after helping the program capture back-to-back titles the two years prior.
With their final pick at No. 28, the Sparks selected Notre Dame forward Liatu King. A Second Team All-ACC selection last season, King started all 33 games for the Fighting Irish, averaging a double-double with 11.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
“Liatu is just scratching the surface of what she can accomplish at the professional level,” Pebley said. “She is an efficient shooter, excellent rebounder and a tenacious defender. Her motor and explosiveness fit the identity of our team.”
As the Sparks usher in a new era, aiming to transform from a last-place team into a playoff contender with a new head coach, a new superstar and a culture shift, their goal with this year’s draft class was to align with that vision.
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“Kelsey Plum coming into our organization was not just about how Kelsey plays on the court, but how she prepares herself to play on the court,” Pebley said. “This whole organization is going to rise to her level, and we wanted to bring in people who could reflect that as well. So those were three key pieces that were important to us culturally.”
The front office believes securing Barker, Feagin and King was a victory earned considering each player’s journey and how they align with the Sparks. They match where the team once was, where they are now and what they ultimately want to become.
“We felt like we walked out of that war room like we won the draft,” Roberts said.
