In the WNBA, when the season is over, players are rarely done playing basketball. They often play overseas or in leagues here in the States, such as Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited.
Last year, we saw multiple Sparks players participating in Unrivaled and utilizing that league as a way to stay competitive and in shape during the winter months.
With the Sparks being done playing this year, here is a rundown on where they will be playing during the WNBA offseason.
Kelsey Plum
Plum was slated to play in Unrivaled
last year, but pulled out because she wanted to take time for herself. She was asked if she would participate in Unrivaled during exit interviews, and said she “couldn’t say yet.”
Unrivaled is set to begin player announcements on Sept. 22, and rosters will be revealed in November.
Rickea Jackson
Jackson played with Unrivaled last season and, like Plum, was also asked about participating in the 3×3 league during exit interviews. While Plum seemed to be leaning toward being more likely to play in Unrivaled, Jackson had a much more neutral response, saying she didn’t know yet.
Last year, Jackson had a strong season with Team Mist. If Jackson doesn’t play with Unrivaled, I find it hard to believe she’ll play elsewhere, mainly because she’s been playing non-stop from college, to her rookie season in the WNBA, then Unrivaled, followed by her sophomore year in the W.
So, if Unrivaled’s proposition of playing in America for good pay is no longer enticing, I doubt she’ll want to go overseas and play even more basketball.
Dearica Hamby
Hamby played in Unrivaled last season, but there are no updates yet on her status with the league for the 2026 campaign. She has played overseas with Kayseri in Turkey in 2024 and Beijing Great Wall in China in 2023.
So, maybe she goes elsewhere to play, stays with Unrivaled, or decides to give her body some much-needed rest. Hamby has not missed a Sparks game during her three seasons with the franchise.
Cameron Brink
It’s already been announced that Brink will be playing with Unrivaled in 2026. She will be playing with the Lunar Owls. This is great for Brink, considering she only played about half of the year since she was recovering from her ACL injury.
Rae Burrell
Burrell also participated in Unrivaled last year, and her status with the league is currently unknown. She has played with Unrivaled and also with Athletes Unlimited back in 2024, so we’ll see where she’ll play during the WNBA offseason.
Sarah Ashlee Barker
Sparks rookie Barker didn’t play much this year, but she’ll be participating with Athletes Unlimited this season.
For a rookie who only got reps during garbage time and when the injury report was longer than usual, this is exactly what you want to see from Barker. With Athletes Unlimited, she’ll play against a ton of WNBA-level talent, giving her a chance to hit the ground running for the 2026 WNBA season.
Julie Allemand
Alleamand will be playing with Fenerbahçe in Turkey. Her season starts in October and she had to report just five days after the Sparks were done playing, so there won’t be much rest for the Sparks guard.
Allemand is no stranger to playing overseas. At this point in her career, Allemand isn’t likely to develop much more to her game, so the main thing Sparks fans will be watching out for is that she remains healthy while playing with Fenerbahçe.
Azurá Stevens
Stevens is another Unrivaled alum, and we have not heard yet if she’ll be returning to the league or not. She has played overseas before, having played with Xinjiang Magic Deer in China in 2024 and Galatasaray in Turkey in 2023.
Stevens is coming off her best season of her career, so regardless of whether she opts to rest or play, she’s performed so well that whatever she decides is warranted.
Emma Cannon, Allissa Pili, Sania Feagin, Julie Vanloo
Cannon’s offseason plans are still unknown, but last year she played with Henan Phoenix in China. We’ll see if she returns to China or takes her talents elsewhere.
Pili was a late addition to the Sparks and finished the season out in Los Angeles. She played in Athletes Unlimited last season, so there’s a chance she runs it back with that league this year.
Feagin will be playing for the Adelaide Lightning in the Australian league, the WNBL. The rookie only played in 14 games for the Sparks, so additional playing time would be beneficial to her development.
Vanloo played with Galatasaray last year, but her contract expired, so where she will play this offseason is still unknown. She is always playing overseas, so it’s very likely she’ll find a home soon.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
