This year's top-three, maybe even top-five WNBA prospects pack a lot of talent to say the least. Each have the potential to be a franchise-shifting asset to any team that is lucky enough to make them one of their own. But this prospect may be a diamond in the rough, and the Sparks need to be proactive if she's available come pick No. 9.
Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore made a name for herself in college, and her proven expertise to put up game-altering numbers benefits Los Angeles in the long run.
The Australian certainly doesn’t have height to her advantage, standing at a measly 5’6”, but her consistent development throughout her college career demonstrates that skill and passion overrule a simple measurement.
Learning from a great
Should the 24-year-old fall to the 9th overall pick in this year's WNBA draft, it would be the smartest pick for the Sparks to make if they hope for a bright future in California.
You may recall the yellow and purple acquiring point guard Kelsey Plum in a three-team trade with Las Vegas and Seattle over the summer. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time WNBA champion was a big-time pickup for L.A., and it could unveil itself as even more of a blessing in disguise if they take Amoore with the pick that they received in the same trade.
Plum is entering her eighth season in the league, having played on arguably the best team in the WNBA in the last decade. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Becky Hammon, and playing alongside unanimous MVP A'ja Wilson, Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray and other stars, she clearly has the knowledge and skill that she can pass on.
Small but mighty
The Sparks have already shown a small glimpse of what their future will look like by selecting former Stanford University star Cameron Brink second overall in 2024. Despite Brink's rookie year being cut short after a season-ending injury, her numbers translated from college to the WNBA right away.
Amoore, who is a two-time All-America pick was always advocated for by her coach Kenny Brooks for her undeniable drive to improve and passion for the game. In every season of her collegiate career, she increased her average points per game from 11.8 in 2020-21 to 19.6 by 2024-25.
Needless to say, her offensive expertise didn’t just signify she was a strict bucket-getter. Amoore joins only Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu as the only players with 2,300 points and 800 career assists in Division I women’s basketball history. Her court vision was clear as early as her first season with the Hokies where she dished out 4.6 assists per game, but continued to grow as an assist master with just under 7 a game by her senior year.
Smartest choice for the long run
As Kelsey Plum approaches age 31, she is approaching the back end of her career. With lots of quality basketball still left to play though, if the Sparks make the wise decision and take the 5'6" point guard, it gives them different options and multiple lineups to use. Even if she is a solid addition and depth piece to their bench for the next few seasons, she will be able to work on her skills at an all-star level under Plum and be on standby to take over the starting role when her time comes.
Amoore alongside the versatile forward-center Brink, who stands at 6'4", could easily become one of the WNBA's most dangerous duos. The possibility of taking advantage of their respective abilities to thread the needle and get tough buckets should excite the franchise.
Could critics outshine capability?
The only thing that is worrisome about taking a chance on a player her height is all of the noise that surrounds it. With height being one of, if not, the most evident observations on the court, the biggest question is, "Will all of the negative comments get to her head?"
Luckily, she's already heard all of the noise, and commented on it during her time at Kentucky by saying “I hear it all the time, I’m too short. I’m not quick enough. I’m not this. I’m not that. But it’s like, Okay. What am I then? … People are always gonna talk. People are always going to say some things, and there’s gonna be days where you feel it. There’s gonna be days where you disagree, and there’s gonna be days where you agree. But I’m this. I’m solid”.
Take the risk
With the 9th overall pick in the draft, if Amoore is still available after back-to-back picks by Connecticut at No. 7 and 8, she will likely be the most talented prospect still available. Unstoppable teams are often built around a one-two punch duo which, five years down the road, the Sparks could easily have in both Brink and Amoore if developed properly. The duo could be immensely effective in many different situations like the pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop, high post or drop pass plays. The potential positives outshine the negatives with a player like her at that point in the draft.