The Sparks were able to sign Queen Egbo to a hardship contract because they did not have the necessary ten players available. Due to injuries, the Sparks are currently without Cameron Brink and Azurá Stevens. Due to illness, Lexie Brown will miss Saturday’s game against the Liberty.

The Sparks were able to sign Queen Egbo to a hardship contract because they did not have the necessary ten players available. Due to injuries, the Sparks are currently without Cameron Brink and Azurá Stevens. Due to illness, Lexie Brown will miss Saturday’s game against the Liberty.

Egbo will stay with the squad under a hardship contract until a player is removed from the injury report. The Sparks promptly end Egbo’s hardship contract once they have ten players available again. Curt Miller, the head coach of the Sparks, talked about what he hopes Egbo will bring to the floor before the game.

“Hardship players find it extremely challenging to adjust in a day without practicing. We held a film session instead of a shoot around. I went over a few topics with her, but in fifteen minutes, what will you teach her about our seventy-eight plays? Miller stated, “That doesn’t even get the defensive game plan started.” “What I informed her and what I am aware of…When in doubt, keep in mind your R’s, I said.

Before being cut earlier this month, Queen Egbo played in three games for the Connecticut Sun this season. In her two-year career, Egbo, the No. overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, has also played for the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics.

In her 33 games as a rookie with the Fever in 2022, she averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocked shots. That was her greatest season. She is a skilled rebounder and a tough defensive defender in the paint.

Her body language was among the things that caught my attention. We were disturbed by her physicality in Washington last year,” Miller said. “She can add some rim protection and physicality, in my opinion. She can provide some rebounding. Having transitioned from a starter in her rookie campaign to a supporting position, she is currently figuring out where she fits in, much like many young professionals do.

Sparks injury issues brings opportunity for young players

Some of the younger players on the club seem to get opportunities and minutes due to the absences from the Sparks roster. Li Yueru, the backup center, is one player in particular who seems to gain by playing more minutes.

Yueru, who played for the Chicago Sky in 2022, is only in her second season of professional basketball. She was the first big off the bench player for the Sparks this season after being acquired in an offseason deal. But Yueru is now the starting center due to Cameron Brink’s injury.

When Brink first went down, she played well against the Sun. In 26 minutes, she ended with 11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 blocked shot. She had a career-high 18 points and seven rebounds against the Seattle Storm to start the road trip, which proved to be her greatest performance of the year.

Yueru has averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 16 games for the Sparks this season. He has shot 49.2 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, and 86.4 percent from the free-throw line.

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