WNBA Los Angeles Sparks Return to San Diego For One Game After 16 years

SAN DIEGO - The Los Angeles Sparks returned to San Diego for the first Women’s National Basketball Association game in the city in 16 years. A preseason matchup against the Nigerian National Team on Saturday at Viejas Arena showcased rookie draftees, players new to the team, and veterans alike, alongside an 89-63 win. The Sparks also held their training camp practices at the University of San Diego. 

It was also a homecoming for Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, who is from Poway and attended La Jolla Country Day School. The former Torrey Pine visited the campus on Thursday for a special assembly and a game of knockout. Plum, a four-time WNBA all-star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time WNBA champion is returning for her second season with the Sparks. She scored a game-high 22 points on Saturday in 21 minutes of play. 

“I’m just super grateful to be a part of this community,” said Plum. “It was a full circle moment, my dad went to San Diego State, my mom worked at USD, I got to be at their gym… And then to play here, it was really cool. One of the special points, so very grateful.”

Sparks highlights in game versus Nigeria National Team. Credit: Los Angeles Sparks

Notable returning players for Los Angeles include:

Forward Cameron Brink, 2024 No. 2 overall draft pick who missed part of the 2025 season due to a torn ACL her rookie season. She returned last July and competed in 19 games. 

Guard/Forward Rae Burrell, returning for her fifth season with the Sparks, was out for Saturday’s matchup due to an ankle injury and is expected to return for the regular season. 

Forward Dearica Hamby, three-time WNBA All-Star, WNBA Champion, Olympic bronze medalist and two-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, is returning for her fourth season in Los Angeles. Hamby is one of only five players in the W to score at least 4,000 points, 2,300 rebounds and 380 steals while shooting 49.0% or better from the floor over her career. 

In terms of newcomers for the Sparks, the team acquired: 

Forward Nneka Ogwumike, who is a WNBA Champion, MVP, 10-time All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA and seven-time All-WNBA Defender. Initially drafted by the Sparks in 2012 as the No. 1 overall pick, Ogwumike returns for her 13th season with the franchise after a year with the Seattle Storm. 

Also from the Storm comes guard Erica Wheeler, who was with the Sparks in 2021.

Guard Ariel Atkins, WNBA All-star and Olympian comes to Los Angeles via a trade with the Chicago Sky. She is the first and only player in league history to make an All-Defensive team in each of her first five seasons. 

Four rookies debuted on Saturday, including: 

Guard Ta’Niya Latson (20th pick), 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship winner with the University of South Carolina. 

Guard Chance Gray (24th pick), who played for the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes and played in 134 games (all starts) over the course of her NCAA career. 

Forward Amelia Hassett (35th pick), Australian who set the University of Kentucky’s single-season record of 99 made three-pointers. 

Forward Laura Ziegler, from the University of Louisville, signed a training camp contract 

Guard Jihyun Park, a South Korean Olympian also signed a training camp contract with the Sparks, but did not play on Saturday.

In Saturday’s game, Brink scored 10 points and had three rebounds, two steals, and in usual Cameron Brink behavior: two incredible blocks. 

“Those are my favorite moments,” Brink said. “Just seeing everyone super into it.”

Erica Wheeler contributed a game-high seven assists, and Ariel Atkins had eight points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals with no turnovers. As for the rookies, Gray scored 14 points and Latson had six assists, all in the fourth quarter. 

This WNBA season marks 30 years since the league’s inception, and one of the most formative with the addition of two new franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, and a new Collective Bargaining agreement which includes a 20% revenue-sharing model, a salary cap of seven million dollars that is more than a four-fold increase over last season, player benefits such as chartered flights, higher minimum salaries, and salary caps of about one and a half million dollars, up from the 2025 maximum of $249,244. Two “Player development” roster spots have also been added to each team.  

After a league-worst 8-32 record in 2024, the team hired Lynne Roberts who took the helm. Despite a losing season in her first year, the 21-23 record was much improved. All in all, fans can expect a faster, veteran-led team for the Sparks this year in the WNBA’s historic 30th season.

The LA Sparks will have their season opener on May 10 at home in Crypto Arena in Los Angeles against 2025 WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces.