Sparks coach Brian Agler hinted before Thursday's WNBA draft that the team was looking to add depth in the post and the Sparks addressed that need in the first round by selecting 6-foot-4 center Maria Vadeeva with the No. 11 pick.
A 19-year-old from Russia, Vadeeva plays with Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike for Dynamo Kursk, the 2017 Euro League champion.
"When you have one of the top players in the world fall in your lap you can't pass it up," Agler said. "She has maturity beyond her years, she can finish and she starts on the best team in the best league in Europe.