Sparks acquire Nurse, No. 4 overall pick from Storm
The Los Angeles Sparks acquired guard Kia Nurse and the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft from the Seattle Storm in exchange for the Sparks' 2026 first-round selection, the teams announced Wednesday.
Seattle signed Nurse to a two-year contract worth $285,000 last offseason. She made 20 starts during her lone campaign in the Emerald City, averaging 5.9 points, 2.3 boards, and 1.3 assists over 40 appearances.
"I am excited that we were able to acquire Kia and welcome her to our Sparks family," Sparks head coach Curt Miller said in a statement. "Kia is a versatile veteran guard who can play multiple positions and brings a toughness and physicality that will fit in perfectly with our team."
The New York Liberty drafted Nurse 10th overall in 2018 following a stellar four-year career at UConn. She was named a starter for the All-Star Game in her sophomore season.
Nurse was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in February 2021 and played a key role in the club's run to the WNBA Finals that year. However, she suffered a torn ACL in Game 4 of the championship series and subsequently missed the entire 2022 season.
The move gives Seattle approximately $500,000 in salary cap space to go after a marquee free agent, according to Percy Allen of The Seattle Times.