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Inside the LA Sparks Draft Press Conference: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Sania Feagin, Liatu King & Alyssa Ustby
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Today I'm recapping the LA Sparks 2025 Draft Press Conference! I asked custom questions to the Sparks' newest rookies: Sarah Ashlee Barker (Alabama), Sania Feagin (South Carolina), Liatu King (Pitt), and Alyssa Ustby (UNC).
We talked about their standout college careers — from Sarah Ashlee's All-SEC honors, to Sania's back-to-back NCAA titles, to Liatu's double-double dominance, and Alyssa's all-around hustle.
Hear what each player had to say about their development, leadership, and how they plan to impact the Sparks this season. 🏀✨
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Transcript
Episode Introduction and Upcoming Themes
00:00:00
Speaker
What's up, Internet? You already know me. It's DJ Treacy Trece, and I'm here, as always, running my mouth about sports, and this time it's specifically about the Sparks. I got a lot to say about sports this week, of course, but the men's and the women's game is doing something completely different, so... yeah You know what?
00:00:16
Speaker
going to give y'all two episodes.
Spotlight on Sparks' New Rookies
00:00:18
Speaker
Okay. going to give the Sparks fans an episode and I'm going to give the NBA playoffs fans another episode on Wednesday. So today is all about the Sparks because last week we were post-draft.
00:00:29
Speaker
I got a chance to talk to the new members of the Sparks, all four of our new rookies, three via the draft and one via a sign. I got a lot to say about it. But before we get into it, check out the press conference and the questions that I asked each of our new Sparks. you really kind of elevated your game this last season and you earned all sec first team honors i'm wondering what parts of your development are you most proud of heading into your rookie year with the sparks yeah i think it's just being consistent at every level so offensively and defensively um so just being able to play off two feet being able to find the open people but then also be able to get downhill and attack the rim as well so just being able to score at all three levels and then you've got to be able to play two two sides of the ball so just continuing to
00:01:13
Speaker
get better on defense and being able to really own my one-on-one matchup. And that's definitely going to help me at the next level for sure. Sanaya, you've played with ah these high-level teammates. ah I'm specifically asked just curious to know, what is your thoughts around teammates, being a good teammate and leadership that you can bring from that South Carolina group to translate into the LA Sparks organization?
00:01:37
Speaker
I just think, I mean, just knowing that they they had a lot of leadership, a lot of love of love and support, just being there for each other.
Rookies' Adaptability and Teamwork
00:01:44
Speaker
So me being able to be that person for my teammates, me me being able to let them know that I always have their back in and that I want to support them right or wrong, but knowing that it's right or wrong, but supporting them no matter what and just being around them and letting them know that it's all love for me.
00:02:01
Speaker
Love that. ah Leah, too. You were one of the most dominant rebounders. um So I want to know how important it is for you to bring that same energy to your game with the L.A. Sparks.
00:02:13
Speaker
It's very significant. It's, you know, part of my identity. um that what you That's what I felt like set me apart from my teammates. I know coming into Notre Dame, that was something that they needed and looking for.
00:02:27
Speaker
um And I was able to bring that in. You know, nothing changes going into, you know, the professional world. Last but certainly not least, Alyssa, you've done a fantastic job just all across the stats, right?
00:02:38
Speaker
I want to know how important it is for you to stay that do-it-all player um at the pro level. Yeah, I've always ah tried to develop my game as a Swiss Army knife, so being very adaptable to not only the teams that I'm on, but the players that I'm with and ah figuring out how to maximize my opportunity as well as my teammates just to make sure that I can help put us in the most successful position as possible because I've just always been ah team-oriented player. I can adjust in certain ways of what the team needs while making sure I still bring top-tier competitiveness.
Player Stats and Potential
00:03:12
Speaker
All right, y'all, now that you have heard what I had to say to each one of the players, let's go through some of their stats and shed a little bit of light on why they were selected for the Sparks.
00:03:23
Speaker
Sarah Ashley Barker is from Alabama and during her final season, she averaged 17 points, six rebounds and three assists. Coach Lynn Roberts has been very, very specific about what she sees as the vision for the Sparks.
00:03:38
Speaker
She wants a fast and dynamic team that is hard to be guarded. So with players having multiple stats in different columns, it just makes them seem more well-rounded and more hard to guard.
00:03:50
Speaker
Moving on to Sania Fagan, one of the South Carolina girls and a graduate of Dawn's daycare. She participated in back-to-back titles with South Carolina and only averaged nine points and five rebounds, but they addressed this right on the press conference.
00:04:08
Speaker
Reagan, the general manager, spoke about how hard it is to work in the shadows of great players like Aaliyah Boston and Raven and all these other South Carolina legends that are there and come to practice day in, day out and know that today might not be your day, but you're waiting for your next time up.
00:04:29
Speaker
to get your butt kicked in practice over and over by legends. We're talking about people who are gone have gone into the league, like Cardosa, who played for South Carolina. this These are the kinds of people that Sanaya was playing against, and she still found a way to have a positive attitude, even though she might only get 18 minutes max in the game, and still know anything.
00:04:52
Speaker
when my time comes, that I'm going to step up and be ready for that moment. So again, she can do it all. She has also competed in the SEC against Sarah Ashley. But waiting for that next time up allows you to work really hard in the shadows and sit on the bench and be ready to explode.
00:05:09
Speaker
That's what I think we're going to get from Sanaya. Moving on to Leah 2 Listen, Leah 2, I was unfamiliar with your game. I had to watch some footage after the press conference to really figure out what was happening here. Because, again, if you're not familiar with the ACC style, came from Pitt.
00:05:29
Speaker
Leah 2 was one of the top rebounders in the league last year, y'all. A dog. Average 19 points, 10 rebounds. Come on.
Rookie Integration into Sparks' Lineup
00:05:39
Speaker
That kind of hustle, again, makes it more athletic, makes you know that you can share the ball, crash the boards, and play with that intensity that this new regime of Sparks all has in common.
00:05:51
Speaker
Leah 2 also was the double double leader for the ACC in the last season and last but certainly not least Alyssa Uspe didn't hear her name be called in the draft and she is not taking that personally she's taking that on the chin and she is going to work her butt off in the Sparks camp to make the roster she was recruited by um Coach Lynn Roberts, when she was in high school, didn't end up with her in college, but still kept in touch and got a call.
00:06:19
Speaker
I don't know about y'all, but that makes me feel like she's going to be much more hungry. Not being a part of it, watching the draft on ESPN at home in North Carolina and not hearing her name get called being from UNC.
00:06:33
Speaker
Getting that call from Coach Lynn Roberts must have felt like a million-dollar call for her, that golden ticket that she's been waiting for. And she says that she is looking forward to coming in and playing intense on both sides of the basketball. She is two-time ACC first team 2024 and 2025.
00:06:51
Speaker
And last year, she averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists per game. That dynamic player that we talk about. Let me not forget to mention that she was all defensive ACC last year as well.
Sparks' Rebuilding Phase
00:07:05
Speaker
Defense wins championships. So adding these four young ladies who have already figured out ways to play best in multiple categories on the stat sheet.
00:07:16
Speaker
Adding them with a Kelsey Plum, De'Erica Hamby, Azaree Stevens, just re-signed, Aerie McDonald, Julie Alamon. There is so many things that are happening offensively and defensively for the Sparks.
00:07:28
Speaker
I am looking forward to this season. It seems like this system that Coach Lynn Roberts is developing now. doesn't favor just one player which will make the team more unstoppable a rickia jackson a cameron brink i didn't even name them when i talked about the kelsey plums the d'erika hambies the azure stevens these are already champions y'all so we're adding these phenomenal young players and other people that we've signed the mercedes that i told y'all about before from the other press conferences Maybe I should put all of them together because as Mercedes Russell got signed, that press conference was different. It's almost time for for spring camp. So I am going to do my best to give you a full rollout. This video and podcast, for those of y'all that are listening to audio, is specifically about the rookies. But I am going to give you a rundown of every player, their top accolades, and what I personally believe that they can give to the Sparks while listening to the GM and the coach.
00:08:27
Speaker
Talk about winning right now. That's important for a lot of y'all Sparks fans that have been talking about the decline or NECA leaving or all these things, right? Teams have the permission to go through a high streak and then taper off a little bit.
00:08:44
Speaker
reformulate things in their organization. We have a new coach, a fairly new GM, and a ton of new players. Let's give this Sparks team time to cook, y'all. Okay?
00:08:54
Speaker
No pun intended, of course, and y'all know what I'm talking about. I don't even have to bring it up. But let's give these ladies the time.
Expectations for Coach Lynn Roberts
00:09:02
Speaker
to make this plan work in the ways that they envision it. I don't think Coach Lynn Roberts is going to waste our time here.
00:09:09
Speaker
It sounds like she's going to hit the ground running and coming from her track record. And again, in her press conference, I had never seen so many people tap in from all over the country and say so many positive things about her and how much she was a hard worker and how she was going to figure it out and all these things.
00:09:25
Speaker
So I'm excited to see what these new LA sparks have for us today. Let me know in the comments what you think about our rookies. If you are a fan of their former college teams, let me know what you expect of them in the WNBA.
Episode Conclusion and NBA Teaser
00:09:38
Speaker
Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of The Post Up. You already know me. It's DJ Treacy Treacy, and I'll always be here running my mouth about sports. Stay tapped in. New episode coming Wednesday. Again, i told y'all I'm going to give y'all a double feature because I got to run my mouth about the NBA.
00:09:54
Speaker
I'll see y'all soon.