How does Monique Akoa Makani fit with Sparks long-term?

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats newsletter. We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Hudl. Hudl’s industry-leading tools - Sportscode, Instat, and Fastmodel - elevate the preparation, performance, and player development of WNBA and NCAA teams. We appreciate their support and look forward to working with them to help bring more insight about the women’s game to you.

You can find HHS on Bluesky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Haven’t subscribed to the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter yet?

The last thing Monique Akoa Makani expected was to be traded.

A starting point guard for a team that went to the WNBA Finals last season, Akoa Makani was considered an up-and-comer for a Phoenix team that had seemingly found a winning formula.

This season, the Mercury took a step backwards, sitting seven games out of a playoff spot as of Monday night.

Then they made the shocking decision to trade a lottery pick and Akoa Makani to Los Angeles for Kelsey Plum.

“Yes, a lot,” Akoa Makani said at practice when asked by reporters if she was surprised about the trade. “I was in Chicago. Yeah, we had just landed in Chicago that night.”

After posting 3 points in 17 minutes in her Sparks debut against Chicago, Akoa Makani injured her right ankle in Minnesota the next night, following a 19-minute, 7-point outing where she was on the floor late in the game to help the Sparks close out their best win of the season.

So she didn’t get the revenge game against her former team, Phoenix, a game where Plum didn’t face off against her old squad, either.

But Akoa Makani projects to be one of the pieces in the Sparks’ second attempt at a rebuild this decade. With two lottery picks in the upcoming draft, Cameron Brink, Rae Burrell (who is a restricted free agent) and Akoa Makani, they have the semblance of a core to build around.

“Her defense, whether it’s off-ball, on-ball, and I said it after the game, but every team has their own verbiage and vernacular, and it’s different than the other team,” said Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts. “She’s come in and picked it up quick, which speaks to her intelligence. But she’s a great human being. She’s full of gratitude, and humility, and confidence in what she’s able to do. That’s a great combo.”

It’s quite the pivot from the win-now, veteran-laden roster they attempted before the season. It became clear by mid-July when the Sparks fired general manager Raegan Pebley that the Sparks were going to have to take a step back.

Akoa Makani hasn’t played since August 6 in Minnesota, and the Sparks had to do some roster shuffling, first attempting to poach Ashlon Jackson from her developmental deal in Connecticut and releasing Kiana Williams before signing Tonie Morgan.

But her acquisition says a lot more about the Sparks’ intentions for building for the future. They could pick No. 1 overall and get JuJu Watkins and now have two cracks at it, but even with mid first-round picks, they’ll add talent to go alongside the aforementioned trio.

“(Roberts) said she was very happy to have me, even though she knew I was probably going through a very tough time,” Akoa Makani told reporters. “And that she completely understood my situation. She just wanted me to know that I was very wanted here. And she was very excited about me.”

Akoa Makani adds a defensive skill set the Sparks have lacked this season, and having her in the fold shows a commitment to building in that area.

She is also shooting 40.7% from 3-point range, giving the Sparks another shooter to space their offense, especially now that Plum isn’t in the mix.

The Sparks have a lot of decisions to make in the offseason. Both Dearica Hamby and Ariel Atkins are on deals for two more seasons at over $1 million per year, and Erica Wheeler has another year left, too.

Losing Plum gives them a bit of cap space, but it seems clear they’re about to lock in on building a true roster that can last this time.

Akoa Makani is a great addition for that.

“She’s an explosive athlete,” Roberts said. “I think it’s a great trade. I think we got a really good one. She’s only in the second year of her contract, has played a lot of basketball internationally, isn’t afraid of the moment, just really poised. And in that game down the stretch of Minnesota, she was phenomenal. Defensively, so good. And hit a couple big shots, too. Got a couple and-ones. We’re pleased with her.”

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.