The Los Angeles Sparks have made a flurry of roster moves over the past two days, including a decision on third-year guard Kate Martin.
Los Angeles has lost its last two games without the injured Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink. The Sparks have also won just once in their last five outings, making it clear that some changes and reinforcements are needed.
Nearly halfway through the season, the Sparks are still in contention for a playoff spot with an 8-10 record. That being said, they certainly needed to do something to turn things around soon before it was too late.
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Sparks Bring Back Alissa Pili
On Sunday, the Sparks waived undrafted rookie Laura Ziegler, whom they signed to a player development contract in April. With the open spot, they added forward Alissa Pili, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Under the player development contract, Pili is eligible to play in 12 games for the Sparks. She can also join the Sparks' practices and training sessions, as well as travel with the team.
Pili has played in 41 WNBA games so far in her career, averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds. She suited up for the Sparks last season under a seven-day contract, appearing in five games and recording 3.2 points in 3.4 minutes per contest.
Kate Martin Gets Promoted by Sparks
After signing Pili, the Sparks made another move on Saturday, this time involving another 2024 draft pick in Martin.
Martin joined the Sparks in May after being released by the Golden State Valkyries. However, she signed a player development deal at the time.
Since Martin has already played in 10 games, the Sparks knew they had to make a decision regarding her status. Interestingly, the team decided to convert her player development contract into a standard WNBA deal.
Unfortunately, L.A. needed to open up a roster spot to make room for Martin. As a result, the Sparks waived rookie Ta'Niya Latson, the 20th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Martin is averaging 2.6 points in 7.7 minutes per game this season. Sure enough, it will be interesting to see whether she takes on an increased role with L.A. now that she's part of the regular roster.
