On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Sparks will open their WNBA season against the Atlanta Dream at the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State University, marking the highly anticipated debuts of two rookies – forwards Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.
Both players were among the top picks in last month’s WNBA draft, with Brink being selected as the No.
2 overall pick and Jackson as the No.
4 pick.
The Sparks will be looking to improve upon their 17–23 record from last season, and both rookies are eager to make an impact.
Cameron Brink, a three-time All-American at Stanford, helped her team win a national championship in 2021 and secure the Pacific-12 Conference regular-season title this year.
Meanwhile, Rickea Jackson averaged an impressive 20.2 points per game for Tennessee in the previous season and was a two-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection.
The pair of rookies will join Lexie Brown, who averaged 12.4 points last season but was limited to just 12 games, as well as Layshia Clarendon, who had an average of 11.1 points per game in the previous year.
The Sparks’ lineup has experienced some changes from last season, with former Stanford star Nneka Ogwumike, the 2016 WNBA Most Valuable Player, signing with the Seattle Storm.
Additionally, Jordin Canada will be playing for the Dream, after being traded in an offseason deal that saw Aari McDonald move to Los Angeles.
Canada was a key player for the Sparks last year, contributing significantly as their second-leading scorer while also leading the team in assists (6.0 per game) and steals (2.3 per game.
The Dream have also added experienced all-star Tina Charles to their roster, who returns to the league after missing the 2023 season.
Atlanta’s frontcourt will be strengthened by the partnership between Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Tina Charles.
Parker-Tyus, who led Atlanta with 6.7 rebounds per game last year while also blocking a team-high of 1.5 shots per contest, is excited about the chemistry building within the team, aiming to be one of the best frontcourt duos in the league.
The addition of Tina Charles will likely help Atlanta improve upon their 19–21 record from last season when they lost 2-0 to the Dallas Wings in the first round of the playoffs.
Both the Los Angeles Sparks and the Atlanta Dream are looking forward to a competitive WNBA season, with rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson set to make their mark on professional basketball.