Another new year, another big acquisition for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Just like Dearica Hamby last January, the Sparks have made another splash in the Pacific to start WNBA free agency.
They’ll sure need it too, after already losing one of their Ogwumike’s to at least free agency, both Samuelson sisters, and star of the future Jordin Canada.
So how about another guard who carries Canada on her back?
Coming in from the Storm after weathering a season for a rebuilding Seattle, Kia Nurse will plug the Sparks’ backcourt, and be the light LA need on their hardwood Hollywood nights.
Nursing the hurting Sparks, Kay joins Cali’ native Aari McDonald (from the Canada trade), and whoever the second, fourth, eighth and 28th pick in this year’s WNBA draft will be.
Not to mention the re-signed Rae Burrell and Layshia Clarendon, two of the brightest Sparks from last season.
Looks like LA is actually cooking up quite the future, like sophomore stud Zia.
The three-time champs will get to work with yet another new look, as they say goodbye to the Nneka era. Legendary like Lisa Leslie, or Candace Parker, who bridged the gap between the two franchise cornerstones.
Scrubbing up, Nurse averaged 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the Seattle Storm last season. Playing all the last campaign’s 40 games and starting in half of them. Kia, like the car sponsored MVP trophy, knows her worth. The 10th overall pick of the 2018 draft, struck by the New York Liberty, is joined by this year’s fourth selection. Dealt for the Sparks’ 2026 first-round draft choice.
An All-star in her sophomore season, Kia Nurse was picked up by the Phoenix Mercury after three years in NYC. There, raising the super team stakes like Vegas, she formed a formidable team with Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who now plays for Seattle.
The women of the W keep making major moves.
The veteran Nurse needed her own one in 2022, when she missed the entire campaign with a knee injury. That was the past. The future sees this multiple position player put the hurt on the opposition only, with her physicality and trademark toughness.
The TSN analyst, who has been great at calling the Raptors as she sees them, still has skin and teeth in the game of her first profession. From nothing to something, rocking the zero jersey like she did the Canadian flag on SLAM’s inaugural Canada issue.
Hitting press alongside the legendary and legacy making likes of Steve Nash and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for three classic covers, that’s exactly the kind of company this night Nurse keeps.
The 27-year-old, six-foot PG, has quarter-backed many a career highlight. Hamilton, Ontario’s very own St. Thomas More Catholic high-school player was a UConn Huskie and AAC Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year.
Carrying that over to the WBCA and Australia, where Kay became the DPOY and the WNBL’s Most Valuable Player (for the Canberra Capitals) in 2018 and 2020 respectively.
She brought back two ‘chips from down under, and when it comes to up north, Kia represented Canada in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Don’t forget about Paris this summer too, but until then, Nurse has a shift with the Sparks. Her physical play will be therapy for a team sorely in need of some help. Changing the Californian court culture back to the old purple and gold winning ways.
