The Los Angeles Sparks shook up the WNBA world this past week with the acquisition of All-Star guard Kelsey Plum in a three-team trade involving the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces. It cost the Sparks the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but Plum is a former No. 1 pick herself and proven player. With the next stage of the offseason being filling out the rest of their roster, the Sparks made a pair of roster signings in WNBA free agency, the team announced on Sunday.
The Sparks’ latest WNBA free agency roster signings were veteran forward Emma Cannon and Anneli Maley. Cannon is a six-year WNBA veteran while Maley played four games for the Chicago Sky in the 2022 WNBA season.
The signings come on the heels of another pair of roster moves the Sparks made this weekend. In one move, the Sparks waived third-year guard Zia Cooke. In the other move, the Sparks re-signed veteran guard Odyssey Sims.
With the trade for Plum, the Sparks signaled that they were accelerating the timeline of their rebuild. With the Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson in the fold, and the No. 2 overall pick, the Sparks were on the verge of potentially establishing a young core for seasons to come.
But with Plum in the lineup, a proven All-Star player, the Sparks are looking to win much sooner along with their young players.
Sparks new roster signings
The most recognizable name for WNBA fans in the team’s recent pair of additions is Emma Cannon. Cannon went undrafted and made her WNBA debut with the Phoenix Mercury during the 2017 season.
Cannon did not play in the league in 2018 and 2019, resurfacing with the Las Vegas Aces in the bubble in 2020. In total, Cannon has appeared in six seasons in the league, with 2025 potentially being her seventh.
At 35 years old, the biggest thing that Cannon brings to a team is her presence in the locker room. She’s a quality vet and every team, especially a relatively young one like the Sparks.
Cannon spent part of last season with the Aces and has also had stints with the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun. She’s appeared in a total of 114 games with averages of 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds with splits of 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.7 percent shooting from the three-point line.
The other roster addition, Anneli Maley, is more of an unknown in the WNBA. She suited up in four games for the Sky in 2022, shooting 50 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the three-point line.
But she’s had an extensive overseas career. She played college basketball in the United States at Oregon and TCU. Since then, she’s played in Australia in the WNBL and was named the 2022 WNBL MVP.
Both players will likely get their opportunities to make the Sparks’ final roster in training camp.