One of Canada’s top female basketball players, point guard Kia Nurse of Hamilton, Ontario, was traded on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Nurse was traded from the Seattle Storm to the Los Angeles Sparks. In addition to Nurse, the Sparks will receive Seattle’s first round pick, fourth overall, in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Sparks, meanwhile, will send their first round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Storm.
Nurse is joining her fourth WNBA franchise. She previously spent three seasons with the New York Liberty from 2018 to 2020, one season with the Phoenix Mercury in 2021, and one season with the Seattle Storm in 2023. Nurse missed the entire 2022 WNBA season because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered during the 2021 WNBA playoffs.
In 2023 with Seattle, Nurse averaged 5.9 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game. She had a field goal percentage of .343, free throw percentage of .889, and three-point percentage of .350.
Nurse was a WNBA All-Star in 2019. That year she averaged 13.7 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists per game, a field goal percentage of .402, three-point percentage of .294, and a free throw percentage of .872.
There are currently four Canadian players in the WNBA. Nurse is joined by Minnesota Lynx power forward Natalie Achonwa of Toronto, Ontario, Atlanta Dream forward Laeticia Amihere of Mississauga, Ontario, and Lynx small forward Bridget Carleton of Chatham, Ontario.
Meanwhile, Team Canada will soon play their Olympic qualifying tournament in women’s basketball. Canada is in a pool with Hungary, Spain and Japan. The tournament is taking place in Sopron, Hungary from February 8-11. The top three teams from the four team tournament qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
