Azurá Stevens: From Setbacks to Stardom with the Los Angeles Sparks
From injuries to impact, Azurá Stevens is finally healthy—and thriving—as a breakout star and Most Improved Player contender in the WNBA
Azurá Stevens’ WNBA journey has been defined by unfulfilled promise and persistent injuries—until now. The Los Angeles Sparks forward is finally healthy in 2025, and her breakout season has her in serious contention for Most Improved Player.
Selected sixth overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft, Stevens showed immediate promise with the Dallas Wings, earning All-Rookie honors while averaging 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. But injuries quickly derailed her trajectory. A significant foot injury limited her to just nine games in 2019, followed by recurring back issues that plagued her for the next several seasons.
When Stevens signed with Los Angeles in 2023, she carried the reputation of a talented but injury-prone player who had yet to reach her potential. Even her Sparks debut was delayed due to arm surgery, adding another chapter to her frustrating injury history.
The 2024 season marked Stevens’ first taste of sustained health in years. As a steady contributor, she averaged 9.6 points and a career-high seven rebounds across 19 starts. Her reliability was enough for the Sparks to extend her contract, betting that her best basketball was yet to come.
That investment has paid dividends in 2025. Under new head coach Lynne Roberts, Stevens has thrived in a system emphasizing spacing and versatility. She’s transformed from a complementary piece into the engine driving both ends of the floor for a Sparks team pushing for a playoff return.
This season, Stevens is posting career numbers across the board: 14.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. She’s shooting 49.2% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range—an elite combination of volume and efficiency that few players in the league can match.
Her excellence peaked in late June when she earned WNBA Performer of the Week honors, averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 67.6% from the field. During that stretch, she made history as the only player to record at least four steals, four blocks, and four three-pointers in a single game while shooting above 70%.
Stevens’ impact extends beyond statistics. In a crucial victory over Indiana, she delivered 21 points and hit the game-winning free throw as time expired, showcasing newfound poise in pressure moments. Days later, she reached the 2,000-career-point milestone in a win over Connecticut, contributing 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
These performances have established Stevens as a leader and closer—a steadying presence for a Sparks roster that has battled injuries and constant lineup changes throughout the season.
The numbers tell the story of Stevens’ remarkable improvement. Her scoring has increased by over five points per game from 2024, while her field goal percentage has jumped nearly eight percentage points. Perhaps most impressively, she has become one of the league’s most reliable two-way players, excelling on both offense and defense.
What makes Stevens’ resurgence so compelling is how hard-earned it has been. After years of rehabilitation and uncertainty, she has completely reshaped her approach to conditioning and game preparation. The player who once struggled to stay on the court is now one of the most dependable performers in the league.
Stevens is no longer just a player with potential—she’s a proven star having the breakout season that seemed impossible just two years ago. Her transformation from injury-plagued prospect to Most Improved Player candidate represents one of the WNBA’s most inspiring comeback stories.
