The Los Angeles Sparks signed forward Lauren Cox, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, to a rest-of-the-season contract Wednesday after she was waived by the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
The Sparks also announced they had re-signed Karlie Samuelson and Bria Holmes to hardship contracts, which are allowed when a team gets below 10 healthy players.
Cox was the Big 12's Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American as a senior in 2020 for Baylor. She was a first-team All-Big 12 selection three times and the league's Defensive Player of the Year twice. Cox was a starter on Baylor's 2019 national championship team. She played with current Sparks guard Te'a Cooper at Baylor in the 2019-2020 season.
"We're excited to add Lauren Cox to our organization," coach and general manager Derek Fisher said. "Lauren delivered on the biggest stage in college as an efficient scorer, skilled passer, and tenacious rebounder for one of the nation's most accomplished programs. We believe in her potential to be an impact player in this league and look forward to welcoming her to the Sparks family."
The 6-foot-4 Cox, 23, was taken in the 2020 draft after top two picks Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally of Oregon and ahead of No. 4 pick Chennedy Carter of Texas A&M. Cox contracted COVID-19 last year but recovered before going into the WNBA's bubble in Bradenton, Florida.
Cox played in 14 of the Fever's 22 games last season, averaging 3.6 points and 3.3 rebounds. This season, she averaged just 8.6 minutes in playing 11 of the Fever's 16 games. She averaged 1.4 points and 2.0 rebounds for Indiana, which is last in the league at 1-15.