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The Los Angeles Sparks have posted a record of 1-2 in the early days of the 2025 regular season, but one player who has had an incredibly strong start to the year is Azurá Stevens. Slotting in as the starting center in place of the injured Cameron Brink, Azurá Stevens has put up strong numbers, including her WNBA history-making stat line in the Sparks’ 89-86 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday.
Despite the Sparks’ loss to the Mercury, Azurá Stevens etched her name in the WNBA history books with her stat line of 23 points, 17 rebounds and one blocked shot. She shot 2-of-4 from the three-point line and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
She joined WNBA legends in Candace Parker and Lauren Jackson, and current superstars A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart as the only players to put up a stat line for 23+ points 17+ rebounds, at least one blocked shot, at least two made three-pointers and at least seven made free-throws, the team announced.
Following the game, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts explained why Stevens has been able to get off to a strong start to the regular season.
“I think this is a system where it plays to Z’s strengths. She’s able to cut, she has great timing, she understands when and where to cut,” Roberts said. “In our comeback there in the fourth, I think she got two or three of those, and she’s a great shooter. So with the space, I think it’s a great system for her.
“She can also put the ball on the floor. And then just defensively, her height, I think she’s a better defender than people give her credit or talk about,” Roberts continued. “I think she’s a really good defender with her legs and timing, and I think she deserves more credit for that.”
Through the Sparks’ first three games of the season, Stevens has been playing a little over 32 minutes per game, and taking around ten shots attempts. She’s averaging a career-best 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocked shots with splits of 58.1 percent shooting from the field, 46.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 86.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Stevens was the team’s leading scorer with 21 points during the Sparks’ loss to the Minnesota Lynx last Sunday. Following the Lynx loss, Stevens spoke the role the guards have played in enabling her strong play.
“Our guards just came out really aggressive attacking, and they were sucking in every time or they were just spraying the ball and I just was being confident,” Stevens said. “Obviously it’s new, we’re learning Coach Lynne’s system, but I think that’s to our advantage any night. Teams are going to sag in when we have people attacking downhill, and we can just kick it out and be confident from the three. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
While there is no definitive timetable for Cameron Brink’s injury return, Stevens has been doing a fine job in the lineup, which should only help the Sparks later in the season.
