Sparks sign French Olympian Sandrine Gruda

Sandrine Gruda will be joining the Los Angeles Sparks for the rest of the season, per reports. Gruda has previously played with the Sparks back in 2014.

The Sparks addressed the media about the signing of Gruda, where Executive Vice President and General Manager Penny Toler discussed how she looks forward to the experience Gruda will bring.

“Sandrine adds another layer of experience and leadership to our deep roster. She was an integral part of our team in 2014, and we look forward to her being able to come in and have an impact through the final regular season push and into the playoffs.”

She is a French post player, who recently played in the Olympics for her team. On her career in the league, she has averages of 8.3 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, all the while playing 19.6 minutes per game.

Head coach Brian Agler shared his emotions on Los Angeles’ newest addition.

“We are excited that Sandrine is joining our team. She will give us depth and versatility, added athleticism, and a veteran mindset.”

Gruda first came to the WNBA as the 13th overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, however, did not join the team until the following season where she played a vital role as a rim protector and cleaned up the glass.

Gruda returned to the WNBA with the Sparks after being absent from the league for three years. During that time, she played professionally in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg — the same club team that Candace Parker was playing with at that time.