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The Los Angeles Sparks have been hit with a recent wave of injuries and absences including a leg injury to star guard Kelsey Plum whose timeline for a return is currently unknown. With the number of available players on the active roster slipping to only eight players, the Sparks signed a pair of players, including veteran guard Shey Peddy, to hardship contracts.
In addition to Shey Peddy, the Sparks also added third-year guard Grace Berger and both players will remain on hardship contracts with the Sparks until the team returns to the requisite number of active players. With Plum’s return unknown and Odyssey Sims away from the team for personal reasons, it’s not clear when that will be.
In Peddy’s case, she’s a veteran who has played for a couple of teams and is used to having different teammates. It’s one of the reasons why her early transition to the Sparks hasn’t been as challenging as it may have been for younger players.
“I think it helps that a lot of the players I’ve played against or are friends of mine. . .the league is not that big so you kind of already know each other. That helped a lot,” Peddy told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “That made the transition easier. I think it’s being a vet. I don’t have as much nerves. When you’re a rookie, a little younger, you’ve got to scope everybody out. I am who I am, everybody knows who I am. I kind of just fit in and just go like that.”
Shey Peddy’s approach to her hardship contract with the Sparks is crucial for the younger guards on the roster. With Plum and Sims out and Julie Allemand at Eurobasket, the Sparks are left with only three available guards; Peddy, Berger and Sarah Ashlee Barker. Berger is only in her third season and Barker is a rookie.
A steady hand like Peddy, whose WNBA career has spanned five seasons along with a lengthy career overseas with some of the same players, can help ease the transition amidst the shuffling roster.
“Just being a leader, whether it’s controlling the game, the tempo, making sure we’re all set up, just making sure everything’s going and getting people in their right spots,” Peddy said. “We got nothing to lose, just go out there and have fun. You guys are young, I’m new, together we’re gonna make it work. . .We’re all in this together regardless of how we got here, how long we’ve been here, we gotta make the most of it.”
Shey Peddy’s role for the Sparks
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Shey Peddy’s first game with the Sparks was on Saturday in the team’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx. She played seven minutes off the bench and finished with three points, one rebound and two assists while shooting 1-of-2 from the field. She got in late Friday night and was essentially thrown to the fire from the get-go as the Sparks needed available players.
But for a vet like Peddy, while her initial debut felt slightly overwhelming considering the circumstances, she feels like she was able to settle in as the game went on. After her first practice with the team, she has a better grasp as to what’s expected of her on the court.
“Honestly when I got out there, I just had to put all my emotion to the side and just play. Before, it was overwhelming, and even afterward just really settling in that I had just played a whole game in less than 24 hours of finding out,” Peddy said. “But now I had a little more time to talk to the team, we had a practice yesterday so that felt good. I’m gonna just try to go out there and do the best I can.”
Peddy earned the start at point guard in her second game with the Sparks, a loss to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. She looked more comfortable with her new teammates than she did in Saturday’s game, and she helped the team get off to a good start in the first quarter.
She finished with six points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. She knocked down her lone three-pointer of the game and got four attempts at the free-throw line, converting on three. On a hardship contract, Peddy’s time with the Sparks is limited and the duration unknown. But while she’s on the roster, she’s confident she can bring winning habits on the court.
“Just organize the offense a little bit better and obviously play defense. That’s what I’m known for. To be out there, be a pest with whoever I’m gonna guard,” Peddy said. “Try to control them as best I can, make it hard for them, and knock down some shots. Know when to be aggressive, know when to pull it back, just having a really high IQ out there.”
