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The Los Angeles Sparks announced on Friday that veteran guard Layshia Clarendon will head off to retirement, closing the chapter on an 11-year WNBA career. Clarendon had recently been away from the Sparks due to mental health reasons for the majority of the second half of the season.
With the announcement, Layshia Clarendon issued a statement through the Sparks expressing their gratitude for being able to come back home to finish out their career.
“It's bittersweet to reach this time in my life and career. Coming home to LA and spending my final seasons with the Sparks was deeply meaningful,” Clarendon said. “I wasn't sure if I would ever make it back to California to play. And I did, which meant the world to me and my family. I want to thank everyone within the organization, my teammates and coaches for all they've supported me through. Both big and small. The WNBA is in such a great place and I'll be forever honored to be one of 144.”
Clarendon signed with the Sparks as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season. They hit free agency again at the end of the year, but ended up re-signing with the Sparks for the 2024 season.
Layshia Clarendon's career ends at home with the Sparks
Layshia Clarendon's basketball career began in nearby San Bernardino where they played at Cajon High School. They went on to play college basketball at Cal under current USC women's basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. Clarendon was a key player on the 2013 team that reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Following their college career, they were selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. Clarendon played three seasons for the Fever including helping them reach the 2015 WNBA Finals.
Clarendon was then traded to the Atlanta Dream where they played for three seasons and was named to the 2017 WNBA All-Star team. They were then traded to the Connecticut Sun where they played for current Sparks head coach Curt Miller from 2018-2019.
Before joining the Sparks, Clarendon's career also included stints with the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. They ended up sitting out the 2022 season before arriving home with the Sparks and reuniting with Miller. As part of the announcement, Miller gave his thoughts on having Clarendon on the roster.
“Layshia has made a huge impact on and off the court throughout their outstanding basketball career. I had the pleasure of coaching Lay in Connecticut and Los Angeles and watched how their grit, IQ, toughness and most importantly their leadership impacted out team,” Miller said. “Lay was a true professional, showing up each day wit ha desire to help our teams compete and improve. Simply stated, Lay is a winner. Off the court, Lay is a trailblazers and impacted so many with their bravery to be authentic and unapologetic while consistently fighting for the marginalized.”
Clarendon holds career averages of 7.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists with splits of 43.2 percent shooting from the field, 31.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 81 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
