LOS ANGELES, CA – February 8, 2017 – Penny Toler, Los Angeles Sparks’ Executive Vice President and General Manager, today announced the signing of the following free agents Avery Warley-Talbert, Ify Ibekwe and Jamie Weisner. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing these players in training camp,” said Penny Toler, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Sparks. “Each player brings different talents to the table, Avery has a big presence in the middle with her rebounding and defense, Ify is able to play inside or outside with the ability to stretch the defense with her 3pt shooting and Jamie with her hustle and 3pt shooting ability. It will be interesting to see how their piece of the puzzle will gel with our already talented team.”
Warley-Talbert is a 6-foot-3 center and five year veteran in the WNBA. She is currently playing in Turkey, averaging 15.2 ppg and 11.8 rpg with a career average of 2.3 ppg and 3.8 rpg. A 2012 graduate of Liberty University, Avery was signed as a free agent to Phoenix Mercury (2012) before signing with the New York Liberty in 2013. She then signed with the Chicago Sky as a replacement player until she went back to the Liberty in 2014.
At 6-foot-2, forward Ify Ibekwe was a second round pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft by Seattle Storm and is currently playing overseas in Spain, averaging 16.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. During her time playing for the Arizona Wildcats, Ibekwe earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors in 2010, becoming the first Wildcat to earn the honor since 2004-05. She went on to be named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year two years in a row, in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
Weisner is a 5-foot-10 guard and was picked 17th overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She is currently in Austria and just played her first game, scoring 20 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. A 2016 graduate of Oregon State, Jamie was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and helped lead the Beavers to their first Final Four.
The 2017 Sparks season will tip-off May 13 at 2pm, presented by EquiTrust. The home opener will feature the Championship Ring Ceremony. For ticket information for the 3 time champion LA Sparks, call 844-GO-SPARKS or visit LASparks.com. The LA Sparks can be found on all social media outlets at @la_sparks.