The Los Angeles Sparks made their huge move of the offseason with the blockbuster trade for All-Star Kelsey Plum. With that out of the way, the next step for them becomes shaping the roster as the move forward in their rebuild. The Sparks have made a couple of roster moves on the margins since the WNBA free agency period began, but their most recent move is an intriguing one. The Sparks officially signed former draft pick Shaneice Swain to a contract this week, the team announced.

The Sparks signed Shaneice Swain to a rookie scale contract, almost two years after drafting her with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft.

Swain has been playing overseas in the WNBL in her home country of Australia. In a statement released by the Sparks, Swain spoke about what she’s looking forward to in joining the team for the 2025 WNBA season.

“I’m excited to join the Sparks and truly grateful for this incredible opportunity to elevate my game,” Swain said. “I’m looking forward to learning and growing as a player under the guidance of our new coaches and alongside very talented teammates. This is a fresh chapter for me and I’m ready to embrace the challenges ahead.”

With Swain on board, the Sparks 2025 roster is starting to take shape. With 12 roster spots available, the Sparks will likely bring in a few more players for training camp. As it stands, they have 12 players signed to contracts whether it’s a veteran protected contract or a training camp contract. WNBA teams are permitted to have up to 18 players in training camp.

Shaneice Swain signs with Sparks

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The Sparks officially signing Swain is significant in that she fits the timeline for the team’s rebuild. When talking about the young core that includes Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, Swain should be mentioned as part of that group as well.

Although the Sparks signaled an acceleration in the rebuild process with the Plum trade, bringing Swain to the roster shows they’re still committed to developing young talent.

Swain is only 21 years old and an intriguing guard who could help the team immediately. During the current WNBL season, Swain is averaging 18.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 39.1 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from the three-point line and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

In a statement prepared by the team, Sparks new head coach Lynne Roberts spoke about what Swain adds to the roster.

“We can’t wait to get Shaneice to LA,” Roberts said. “She is an elite scorer who can bring instant offense to our team.”