The Los Angeles Sparks had one open roster spot following the waiving of veteran center Mercedes Russell, and to this point they had kept that spot open. With WNBA teams allowed to sign players to 7-day contracts during the second half of the season, the Sparks made such a roster move with the signing of Alissa Pili, the team announced.
The signing of Alissa Pili gives the Sparks a full 12-player roster for the time being, while providing the team with additional depth at forward. Pili is familiar with Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts after having played for her in college at Utah for two seasons. During that time, the Utes were a nationally-ranked team and made a run to the Sweet 16.
Following Pili’s first 7-day contract, she will be eligible for two more such contracts before the Sparks either have to sign her of the remainder of the season or cut her. The flexibility of a 7-day contract gives the Sparks the opportunity to evaluate Pili while deciding whether or not they want to make another roster move.
Pili joins the Sparks after having played the last two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Pili was cut by the Lynx earlier this season ahead of the contract guarantee deadline. She’s appeared in a total of 36 WNBA games across the last two seasons.
Pili’s best game this season actually came against the Sparks back on June 14. She finished with a season-high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. She also added two rebounds in a little over ten minutes. Her career-high came during her rookie season in 2024 against the Phoenix Mercury. She poured in 20 points in only her fifth career game, shooting 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the three-point line.
Pili’s first game with the Sparks will presumably be on Tuesday at home against the Indiana Fever. The Sparks have been one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break with a record of 4-1. With two home games this week, the Sparks will try and address their poor record in home games.
