LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Sparks made a flurry of moves over the past few weeks to improve their team that missed the playoffs last season. One of those moves was the signing of two-time WNBA champion and LA native Jordin Canada.
The former UCLA Bruin and Seattle Storm point guard backed up WNBA legend Sue Bird for four seasons and decided to come home and bring her experience, playmaking, speed, strong mid-range game, and defense to a Sparks team that could certainly use all of those qualities.
(Courtesy of WNBA)
“I’m super excited to be apart of this championship organization, I’m super grateful to come back home, I’m super blessed to be playing for LA, it has always been a dream of mine,” Canada said when she addressed the media for the first time on Tuesday via Zoom.
One of the aspects Canada spoke about was what she described as “LA pride” and swagger when talking about the decision to play for the Sparks.
“It’s something about having LA pride, especially me being born and raised in LA,” Canada said. “This type of pride and swagger that we have and I feel the Sparks are apart of that culture since I was growing up and watching Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Lindsey Harding and a lot of other greats that have played for the Sparks.”
Canada wants to add to that culture and swagger for her hometown team, however, that almost didn’t happen.
“It was a really tough free agency, there were a lot of ups and downs throughout that process,” Canada said. “To be honest, the Sparks came literally on the last couple of days before free agency ended, so I wasn’t really thinking about playing for the Sparks.”
“The guard play that they had, I wasn’t really thinking that the Sparks were looking for me,” Canada continued.
However, Sparks GM/head coach Derek Fisher came in at the last minute and had a long conversation with Canada about coming to LA and helping to get this team back to a championship level.
“(We spoke about) how I could help the team and how I could bring what I have in my strengths to help bring this team back to what it used to be in championships and organization, so I was all for it,” Canada said on her conversation with Fisher. “It always been a dream of mine to play for the Sparks, I never knew when it would happen, I knew I wanted it to happen at some point in my career. It just kind of happened out of nowhere.”
“(She) brings championship pedigree and leadership to our group,” Fisher said in an official statement after Canada signed with the Sparks. “Her ability to probe defenses with her quickness and play pressure defense fits our identity. In addition, she has invaluable experience running high-level offenses throughout her career.”
There is no doubt Canada’s championship experience in Seattle will be an asset, and she knows what a winning environment looks like and has learned from greats like Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Breanna Stewart during her years with the Storm.
After a tough season filled with injuries and inconsistencies, the Sparks are going to need all the help they can get. Acquiring a guard like Canada with the talent, experience, leadership, and of course some of that LA swag could be the beginning of getting this storied franchise back on a winning track.
