Kelsey Plum And Sparks Leaders Convinced Top Free Agents They Can Win Now

The Sparks worked connected building their 2026 roster agelong earlier nan WNBA’s compressed free agency period tipped off.

Teams person had a small much than a week to hole their training campy rosters betwixt free agency, nan league’s superior draught and an description draft. The Sparks person 1 of nan much notable roster transformations successful nan league, adding Nneka Ogwumike, Erica Wheeler and Ariel Atkins.

On Sunday astatine nan commencement of training campy successful San Diego, Wheeler said Sparks returning defender Kelsey Plum sold her connected nan imagination of nan organization, and Ogwumike’s signing cemented it.

“KP played a large domiciled successful having maine here,” she said, describing a luncheon past play erstwhile Plum told Wheeler she wanted her to motion pinch nan Sparks. “I deliberation Nneka conscionable was for illustration nan extremity of nan iceberg, for illustration it was a nary brainer. Once Nneka decides she wants to travel here, because, arsenic you know, president [of nan WNBPA], life is ever easier astir her.

“We want to triumph nan championship.”

Ogwumike’s return to Los Angeles was conscionable 1 parameter that nan Sparks are, arsenic Wheeler put it, “going for gold.”

This year’s Sparks roster looks a batch much intentional than a mates of years ago. General head Raegan Pebley said Atkins’ summation helps found a deeper offense, while Rae Burrell playing astatine nan 3 gives them much versatility.

There are still mobility marks. They don’t person a ton of ball-handling extent aliases overmuch true-center play aft Cameron Brink.

But Ogwumike has seen nan changes internally and from afar, and she thinks nan Sparks are fresh to compete now.

“I didn’t really want to leave, but I felt for illustration I needed to, considering nan maturation that we wanted to spot further successful nan organization, and I really wanted to travel back,” she said. “... The timeline of a batch of things [in nan offseason] accelerated, maine narrowing down definite organizations, but L.A. was successful nan operation not because, not conscionable because of nan clip that I’ve had here, but because of nan astonishing advancement that I’ve seen successful conscionable nan 2 years successful my absence.”

Ogwumike said portion of that was nan finance successful a believe facility, group to debut successful 2027, and that nan beforehand office, led by Pebley, had a scheme to build a winning team.

But nan astir important point successful bringing successful nan seasoned trio was that nan Sparks had a scheme connected nan court, too.

“It’s really breathtaking erstwhile you tin beryllium successful a spot wherever everybody has nan main point being nan main thing,” Atkins said. “And that’s not to opportunity it wasn’t for illustration that successful nan past, but it’s different erstwhile you person older players and vets astir you that person done it before, because nan measurement that they locomotion in, nan measurement that they talk, there’s nary uncertainty there, right? It’s like, this is really we request to get through, this is what we request to do, get it done truthful it really conscionable beryllium connected us.”

Wheeler has only played successful nan WNBA postseason a fistful of times betwixt Indiana and Seattle and astatine 36 years old, she joined nan Sparks led by coach Lynne Roberts pinch nan volition of playing for a winner.

“I show group each nan time, I’m a businesswoman,” she said. “I person money. … So money don’t move me, [there] was a batch much money retired location for maine to spell after. But I felt for illustration Lynne is building a title rock, and I want to beryllium a portion of that.”

Atkins was traded from Chicago for Rickea Jackson, a arguable move that shipped 1 of nan champion young players successful nan crippled distant from nan Sparks. On draught night, Pebley said nan move helped them triumph games now and she reiterated that connected Sunday.

“We were really alert of is that we were missing different antagonistic punch pinch KP, she needed immoderate support successful position of personification that tin return immoderate unit disconnected of her, to person to people it, aliases to person to create for personification other to people it, that was a large logic of why Ariel, we feel, is simply a awesome fit,” she said. “And past Erica Wheeler is conscionable a winner, and she’s going to bring immoderate toughness and activity there. So I deliberation pinch those 3 astatine nan one-two spot, we’re ace excited astir that.”

Atkins adds a protect furniture alongside Ogwumike for a squad that was dormant past successful nan WNBA successful protect points per crippled past season, and that’s 1 of those intentional, win-now benignant of moves that has everyone successful nan statement excited.

The Sparks vanished conscionable 2 games retired of a playoff spot past season. This year, expectations are acold much than conscionable finishing arsenic a playoff team, and that messaging brought successful 1 of nan astir cohesive rosters successful nan WNBA.

“I ever opportunity that nan slayer operation is finance and engagement, and truthful I’m seeing some astatine very precocious levels, and it permeates each facet of nan organization,” Ogwumike said. “Whether it’s hoops ops, beforehand office, subordinate experience, believe facility, it’s conscionable thing that I’ve ever believed was our standard, and not only person we matched what our expectations were, but we’re now exceeding it successful a timeline that I deliberation is overmuch faster than I ever expected.”