Caitlin Clark's new teammate Natasha Howard shares heartfelt five-word message after 6'6 Center joins Cameron Brink's LA Sparks

Caitlin Clark's new teammate Natasha Howard reacted to Mercedes Russell embarking on a new journey in her WNBA career with the LA Sparks. After playing 187 of her 189 WNBA games with the Seattle Storm (two with the New York Liberty), Russell signed with the Sparks on a two-year deal, the franchise announced on Wednesday.

Howard couldn't hide her excitement and took to her Instagram story to send a message to Russell, wishing her the best in the next chapter of her career.

"Congratulations sis go be great 🤞🏾," Howard wrote.

Natasha Howard's story (image credit: instagram/natashahoward_6)

Howard and Russell played together from 2018-2020 in Seattle before the three-time WNBA champion joined the New York Liberty in 2021. Russell is coming off a quiet season, playing 37 games for the Storm, starting six. She played 15.8 minutes per game, averaging 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds.

The Seattle Storm have made some changes this offseason, including trading Jewell Loyd, to have a fresh start. Russell is now set to join an intriguing project in Los Angeles.

"I am beyond excited to be joining the Sparks family and embracing this next chapter of my life with open arms and excitement," Russell said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to bring my experience to an organization with such deep history and great fans. Let's go Sparks!"

Howard will also play for a new team next season, joining the Indiana Fever led by Caitlin Clark. After spending the last two seasons with the Dallas Wings, she returned to the team that originally drafted her and is keen to make a statement with Clark and Co.

Caitlin Clark reacts to Indiana Fever adding Natasha Howard, more veterans

After a rookie season where she made a lot of noise, Caitlin Clark will look to lead Indiana further than before. The Fever are considered championship contenders and Clark didn't hide her excitement about their offseason moves, including Natasha Howard's signing, that placed them in a privileged position.

"I'm really excited," Clark said to reporters on Tuesday. "I think Kelly (Krauskopf) and Amber (Cox) have done a really good job of finding pieces that fit. It makes me excited about the future. With Steph and her staff coming in here, my ability to work out with Keith all offseason has been really fun, I got to work out with DB (DeWanna Bonner).

The Fever looks dangerous, and if everything clicks, the rest of the league should be careful.