A major one this year: the growth of young players like Rae Burrell.
Burrell, a guard-forward, was drafted by the Sparks with the ninth overall pick in 2022, but was sidelined with injury for the majority of her rookie season. Last season, she appeared in 29 games, averaging 11.1 minutes and 3.6 points per game. Through the first 10 games of the 2024 season, Burrell played just 6.4 minutes per game, including three games in which she did not see the floor. In the seven games where she saw action, Burrell averaged only 2.2 points, shooting 6-19 from the floor.
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In the next 10 games, she saw a quick jump to 14.6 minutes per game. This included a key 32 minutes in the Sparks’ 98-93 win over the Las Vegas Aces on July 5, where she scored 9 points and played the entire fourth quarter.
“My teammates have been so supportive of me,” Burrell told The Next. “Even when I’m watching back the games, I just see the bench going crazy for me, and you know I hear it during the game. It just gives me confidence and makes me want to play even harder.”
Miller praised Burrell for going after her shot and becoming more aggressive through the second half of the season. “Her ability to attack the basket, but score at the arc is important for us,” said Miller after a loss to the New York Liberty on Aug. 15. “She’s a really talented offensive player and it comes in streaky [waves]. And you really gotta ride that wave.”
In the 12 games since the Sparks’ narrow defeat of the Aces, Burrell has played double-digit minutes in all but two games, averaging almost 18 minutes per game and providing an early burst of energy off the bench. She’s averaging 7.9 points per game, and has had three games with more than 15 points, including an 18 point showing in a drought-ending 94-88 win over New York on Aug. 28. Against the league-leading Liberty, Burrell went 7-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-3 from three and grabbed 5 rebounds, and once again played all 10 minutes of crunch time in the fourth quarter.
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After the win, Burrell told reporters that her ability to stay present this year and be ready “when her number is called” is all about “controlling what she can control,” — a saying Burrell says she has tattooed. Even as her playing time and production off the bench fluctuated, Burrell says she has been focused on “controlling her attitude,” remaining a good teammate, and “staying engaged.”
Miller repeatedly emphasized to reporters just how challenging it is to improve during a taxing season like the WNBA’s, where travel and game schedules eclipse practice time, especially in an Olympic year.
Yet, there’s plenty for Burrell to be proud of. In her own words: “Reading the game. Letting the game slow down for me. Seeing what the defense is giving me, and seeing what the themes are for the game,” Burrell told The Next. “Taking my time and decision making. [Miller] has confidence in my shooting ability, he’s always telling me to shoot the open threes, so just staying confident when I’m shooting the open threes and taking the shots I know are within the flow of the game.”
