The Los Angeles Sparks now have two of the top four picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft after trading for the No. 4 selection on Wednesday, increasing their chances of landing Stanford forward Cameron Brink and an accompanying rookie star.

They added the No. 4 pick alongside former All-Star Kia Nurse from the Seattle Storm for a 2026 first-round pick. According to ESPN, Seattle agreed to the swap to open up cap space this offseason.

With its latest haul, Los Angeles boasts the No. 2, No. 4 and No. 12 selections in 2024, having previously acquired the last of those choices from the Las Vegas Aces.

“Being able to add a player with Kia’s skill set and experience will fill a big role for us this season,” Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said via ESPN. “Adding a second lottery pick also assures another significant addition to our roster in 2024. We’re thrilled about both and what they will be able to accomplish here in Los Angeles.”

It remains to be seen which top women’s college basketball prospects declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft, as most carry an extra year of eligibility. If the bulk of eligible players do make the jump to the professional ranks, it would present the Sparks with multiple high-end newcomers on rookie deals.

Los Angeles will hope Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers both enter the draft, as it would likely enable the franchise to take the latter player, who’s widely projected to go No. 2. Bueckers seems to be on the right side of a series of injuries that nearly derailed her career, and with a mix of outside shooting and playmaking, she could be an impact performer from the get-go.

However, Bueckers recently gave a strong suggestion that she may choose to remain at UConn through next season. In that case, the Sparks could pivot to a low-post threat in Stanford’s Brink or South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso. In fact, they have a chance to land both players in what would make them a load to deal with inside for years to come.

Regardless of how Los Angeles decides to operate, it will hope its cast of returning youngsters taken in the first round of the 2022 and 2023 WNBA Drafts can provide greater backcourt production than they’ve given so far.

The Sparks used the No. 9 pick in 2022 on Rae Burrell, who played just 11.1 minutes per game last season but did improve her 3-point shooting.

They used the No. 10 pick in 2023 on Zia Cooke, who struggled offensively as a rookie but still possesses upside. “She’s motivated and she’s hungry to be in the league,” head coach Curt Miller told the OC Register. “She got me excited for her.”

Nurse, the throw-in that came with this year’s No. 4 pick in the trade with Seattle, was an All-Star in 2019 with the New York Liberty. She saw the lowest minutes-per-game tally of her career this past campaign (19.7) but could gain a more prominent role in Los Angeles.