Los Angeles Sparks Acquire Julie Allemand and Li Yueru From Chicago for 8th Overall Pick

In a midday move, the Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky collaborated to push off in their new directions.

The Sparks acquired veteran point guard Julie Allemand, as well as center Li Yueru, and a 3rd round pick in the 2025 Draft from the Sky. Chicago receives Los Angeles' 8th overall pick in the WNBA Draft, acquired by the Sparks in the Jordin Canada sign and trade with the Atlanta Dream.

Sources confirm that Julie Allemand is signing a multi-year deal with the Sparks and will come over this season.

Allemand is averaging 9 points and 5.9 assists per game for her club Lyon ASVEL in French League and Euroleague play (24 games total). She recently pushed Belgium to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Allemand has two years of service in the WNBA, having played for the Indiana Fever in 2020 and Sky in 2022. While she struggled with consistency as a backup with the Sky, Allemand has a proven track record as a point guard that can operate in the halfcourt both overseas, and during her time with Indiana.

If she's confident in her offensive game and shot, she could factor in heavily to Los Angeles' rotation. While there are numerous guards on the roster already, they're primarily combo guards or shooting guards.

It's worth noting that adding veteran play around the incoming No. 2 & 4 picks could be significant and substantial in aiding development. Time will tell on how this move plays out for LA, but it's a worthy investment and recognition that there's already multiple players in the developmental pecking order. Los Angeles has all of their own picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which is expected to be much deeper, and could make more moves in the next year leading up to it.

For the Sky, this is a great and necessary addition for a team entering a rebuild that needs to add talent. The draft may not be as deep as many originally thought, but there are players that can make an impact with the 8th pick and the right system around them.