TORRANCE — Sparks center Azurá Stevens is more than ready to make her Sparks home debut, especially against her former team, the Chicago Sky.
“I’m really excited to be playing in front of the fans,” Stevens said after Thursday’s practice at El Camino College. “I love connecting with the fan bases wherever I’m at, whether I’m in Turkey, Dallas, Chicago and now I’m here in L.A. I love the city and the energy that they have for sports teams, especially the Sparks and the tradition we have here.”
Stevens missed the first five games of this season recovering from a back injury she suffered while playing two games a week overseas in Turkey, but she will be on the court Friday night when the Sparks (3-3) host the Sky (5-3) at Crypto.com Arena.
“Honestly, we play year-round. This is my fourth season straight I’ve been playing,” Stevens said. “I love basketball so I’m pushing through, but I think my body just needed a little time to rest after overseas and that’s what I got. Day by day, I’m just working my way back but I feel good. I feel great.”
A versatile inside-outside player, Stevens is intimately familiar with the Sky. That’s because she was a key piece on their 2021 WNBA championship team and played in Chicago again last season before signing with the Sparks as a free agent in February, seeking an expanded role.
Over her six-year WNBA career, the 27-year-old has shot 33.8% from 3-point range, an intriguing wrinkle for a post player, especially in the era of position-fluid basketball. She has averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in her six-year career while playing 21.1 minutes per game.
At 6-foot-6, she’s the team’s tallest player by three inches, adding much-needed height to support former All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby.
“I’ve had injuries throughout my career so this is really nothing new for me. For me, it’s staying patient and my team is doing a really good job of helping me to…
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