For better or worse, the Los Angeles Sparks are no longer rebuilding

We're not crying, you're crying. 🥹

A look back at the moment the Sparks drafted Cameron Brink as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 Draft.

We are 2 days away from the @WNBA Draft at 4:30 PM PT on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/oKRCMtfpSe

— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) April 12, 2025 What’s been made clear, however, that the future is now for LA. Over the past two seasons, they’ve been making moves that increasingly signal they are focused on ready-now players, and that young players desiring a big role need to develop immediately. In 2025, the Sparks hired Lynne Roberts as their head coach, and with the No. 2 pick, they could’ve drafted a young budding superstar like Dominique Malonga. Instead, they traded that pick to acquire Kelsey Plum. The move worked in the sense that Plum was an All-Star guard for the Sparks, but they still missed the playoffs. It could certainly be argued that the long-term best course of action was to draft Malonga and build around her rather than trying to win as many games as possible with Plum in 2025. Adding a star to our roster! 🙌

Welcome to LA, @Kelseyplum10!

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— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) February 1, 2025 For 2026, the Sparks have leaned even more into quality vets over budding prospects. LA traded Jackson to the Chicago Sky for Ariel Atkins. This move is a risky one for the Sparks. Jackson is far from reaching her full potential and is already one of the most electrifying players in the league. She averaged 14.7 points and 3.2 rebounds last season; Atkins averaged 13.1 points and 3.4 rebounds. Their production is fairly even, and there’s no question Jackson has a brighter and longer future, considering she’s entering her third season, and Atkins will be playing in her ninth year. But clearly, the Sparks like Atkins’ play and feel she’ll be the better player in 2026 than Jackson. Welcome to LA, Ariel!

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— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) April 12, 2026 In a press release, Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley sang Atkins’ praises and mentioned how her play and fit bring them closer to a title: Ariel is a proven winner and one of the most respected two-way guards in this league. She’s a champion, an elite defender and someone who understands what it takes to win in big moments. Her professionalism, competitiveness and versatility make her a perfect fit for our franchise and a key piece in our pursuit of a championship. Even if Atkins works out and is a great fit for the Sparks, this was a bad trade. LA should’ve at least gotten some draft capital for giving away a player with such a huge upside who already has performed well at the WNBA level. Then again, they clearly don’t have much interest in building through the draft, so any picks they would’ve gotten would likely just end up as trade bait.