Sparks bolster backcourt, selecting Sarah Ashlee Barker at No. 9 in WNBA draft

Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times on Apr 14, 2025

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The Los Angeles Sparks entered the offseason in search of a new identity with the WNBA’s worst record. The silver lining? A shot at landing their point guard of the future in the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes.

Instead, after losing out on the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, the Sparks set the stage for a new era of basketball in Los Angeles when they sent their No. 2 selection to Seattle as part of a three-team trade to acquire All-Star Kelsey Plum from Las Vegas.

All that remained was rounding out the new-look roster.

With backcourt help a priority for the Sparks in the draft, they selected Sarah Ashlee Barker at No. 9.

Barker, considered one of the top shooting guards in the country last season, earned back-to-back All-SEC first-team honors and led Alabama to a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance. The 23-year-old shooting guard proved to be an all-around threat, averaging 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. She also set the program’s single-game scoring record with 45 points in the second-round loss to Maryland.

The move 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.

First round recap:

For months, it had been a foregone conclusion that the Dallas Wings would use the No. 1 pick on the Connecticut superstar and made it official to open the draft. ... With their newly acquired No. 2 pick, the Seattle Storm selected Dominique Malonga, the dominant French forward who has competed in France’s top league since she was 15 ...The Washington Mystics held back-to-back picks at Nos. 3 and 4, adding two-way threats in Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron and USC forward Kiki Iriafen …The expansion Valkyries made their inaugural selection at No. 5, choosing Lithuanian Justė Jocytė. The Mystics also controlled the No. 6 pick, selecting Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore …The Connecticut Sun were slated for back-to-back picks at Nos. 7 and 8, drafting LSU’s Aneesah Morrow and N.C. State’s Saniya Rivers.

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