The Los Angeles Sparks came into the 2023 WNBA season with revamped front office and coaching staff and a vision for a new foundation. So far, it's been a bit of an inconsistent start to the year. Coming into Friday's game against the Minnesota Lynx, the Sparks are 5-4 and looking to win back to back games after beating the Dallas Wings on the road this week. Part of the Sparks inconsistent start has been due to injuries. They could have as many as six players out, half of the roster, against the Lynx. Because of that, they signed free agent Destanni Henderson to a hardship contract in order to have enough available players.

The Sparks potential injuries hit critical mass this week with both Chiney Ogwumike and Jasmine Thomas questionable for Friday's game and Lexie Brown, Layshia Clarendon, Nia Clouden and Katie Lou Samuelson all out. Brown has a non-COVID illness, Clarendon and Clouden are hurt and Samuelson is out on maternity.

Enter Destanni Henderson on a hardship contract. Henderson spent last season as a rookie with the Indiana Fever before they cut her ahead of the start of the regular season. Last year she averaged 5.3 points per game, 1.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists with splits of 40.1 percent shooting from the field, 36.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 71.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Henderson flashed potential but apparently the Fever thought otherwise. She was a college teammate of Sparks rookie Zia Cooke at South Carolina. WNBA teams are allowed to sign players to emergency hardship contracts when they have less than ten available players. The hardship contract is then terminated once the active roster reaches ten again.