Sparks Add Alissa Pili on WNBA Development Deal Amid Frontcourt Injuries

The Los Angeles Sparks are shuffling the back end of their roster again. Over the weekend, they signed Alissa Pili — a former first round pick — to one of the WNBA’s new development contracts. To clear a spot, they waived Laura Ziegler.

Pili isn’t new to L.A. She played for the Sparks on a pair of seven-day deals last season before signing for the rest of the year. The No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft started her career in Minnesota, appearing in 22 games as a rookie before the Lynx waived her early in the 2025 season. She finished that year with five games in a Sparks uniform, averaging 3.2 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Why the Sparks needed another big

Cameron Brink has been out with an ankle injury for the last four games. The No. 2 overall pick was the team’s primary backup big, but there’s no concrete timeline for her return. Ziegler had been filling that role as the backup center, but the team clearly wanted to try something different.

There’s a catch with Pili though. Development contracts limit how many games a player can suit up for unless the deal gets converted to a standard one. And Pili is also dealing with an injury herself. According to Justin Russo of Russo Writes, she’s considered day-to-day while rehabbing.

If she’s not cleared for Monday’s game against Seattle, the Sparks will lean on veteran forward Emma Cannon as the reserve big. That’s followed by a Wednesday matchup with Indiana and a Friday home game against Chicago.

L.A. is banged up beyond just Brink

Kelsey Plum is also out with a lower leg injury. The Sparks are sitting at 8-10, good for 10th in the WNBA standings. They haven’t made the playoffs in five straight seasons, and this stretch of home games feels like a pivot point.

Pili joins Kate Martin as the team’s two development contract players. The roster shuffle isn’t flashy, but with the frontcourt thin and the schedule stacking up, the Sparks needed bodies. Whether Pili can actually get on the floor this week depends on how her own recovery goes.