LA Sparks updated depth chart after landing 6'6" Mercedes Russell

The LA Sparks have an updated depth chart following the signing of Mercedes Russell. The two-time WNBA champion joins the rebuilding Sparks, who finished last in the standings with an 8-32 record during the 2024 season.

The 6-foot-6 center, who has played the vast majority of her seven-year career with the Seattle Storm, won the 2018 and 2020 WNBA championships with the franchise. This move caps off a busy offseason for the Sparks, who also acquired Kelsey Plum from the Las Vegas Aces in a blockbuster three-team deal.

Russell signed a contract with the Sparks on Feb. 11, and the announcement was made on Wednesday.

Following the announcement, the Sparks’ updated depth chart is as follows:

Guard	Forward	Center
Kelsey Plum	Rickea Jackson	Dearica Hamby
Rae Burrell	Azura Stevens	Mercedes Russell
Odyssey Sims	Dearica Hamby	Cameron Brink
Aari McDonald	Emma Cannon	Azura Stevens
Lexie Brown	Anneli Maley
Shaneice Swain	Cameron Brink
Julie Allemand	Rae Burrell
Dearica Hamby

Russell's addition will provide the Sparks with much-needed frontcourt depth. She has career averages of 4.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

The Sparks’ frontcourt remains uncertain as Lexie Brown’s return is still unknown. Brown has stepped back from basketball to recover from Crohn’s disease, which she was diagnosed with in late 2023. She has appeared in just 28 games over the past two seasons.

Additionally, the return of Cameron Brink is tentative. Brink, who was having a standout rookie campaign, suffered a season-ending torn left ACL and underwent surgery in June.

While she was unable to participate in on-court activities during the first few days of practice in the Unrivaled 3v3 league, the Sparks remain hopeful that she will be ready for the start of the 2025 WNBA season.

LA Sparks sign eight-figure deal with jersey patch sponsor

While the LA Sparks have been one of the league’s bottom teams in recent years, they remain one of the WNBA’s most iconic franchises and are located in one of its biggest markets. That prestige was reinforced as the team signed a multi-year, eight-figure deal with a new jersey patch sponsor.

The Sparks announced the agreement with Albert, an L.A.-based financial services company, in a press release on Tuesday. The deal is the largest of its kind in franchise history.

The Albert logo patch on an LA Sparks' jersey - Source: LA Sparks

The sponsorship makes Albert the Sparks’ new official jersey patch partner, placing its logo on all the team’s home, away and practice jerseys, as well as on-court branding inside Crypto.com Arena.

The partnership, worth more than $10 million, will extend beyond the basketball court, as both Albert and the Sparks will sponsor financial literacy camps and a court refurbishment program for LA’s youth