The Los Angeles Sparks are coming into Friday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx with a lengthy injury report. In order to potentially have enough available players, they made an emergency signing of former South Carolina star Destanni Henderson to a hardship contract ahead of the game. The Sparks have listed Chiney Ogwumike and Jasmine Thomas as questionable due to a foot injury and a knee injury, respectively. Nia Clouden and Layshia Clarendon are both out with injury and Katie Lou Samuelson is on maternity. But perhaps the biggest addition to the list is Lexie Brown who is out with a non-COVID illness.

This will be the first game that Lexie Brown is out this season. Brown has been one of the Sparks best and most consistent players this year. She arrived on the team as a free agent during the 2021 offseason. She was on a non-guaranteed contract and had to make the team out of training camp. While she was impressive last year, she has been having a breakout season.

Through the Sparks first nine games of the year, Brown has been averaging a career-high 13.3 points per game, 2.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 48.4 percent shooting from the field, 42 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Her shooting percentages are all career-highs.

Brown was reunited this season with Curt Miller who was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun when she played there during her rookie season in 2018. She has also had stints with the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky and was a part of the 2021 Sky championship team.