Bria Holmes ready for a new opportunity

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The Los Angeles Sparks have made a couple of new roster additions this offseason, and they continued that over the weekend with the signing of Bria Holmes. A six-year veteran, Holmes spent the last two seasons with the Connecticut Sun, the team that has eliminated the Sparks from the previous two postseasons.

On a call with the media Monday afternoon, Holmes detailed her reasons for signing with the Sparks. She can see herself fitting in well with the team’s current roster and she feels like she’s going to get a bigger opportunity to play than she has the past couple of seasons.

“I wanted to be somewhere and go somewhere where I was able to fit in and I felt comfortable at my position and being able to showcase my talent and just having the opportunity,” Holmes said. “I feel like these last couple of years, I haven’t really got the opportunity to showcase my talent and show what I can actually do.”

Holmes was a part-time contributor off the Sun bench the past two seasons averaging 5.6 points per game and shooting 32.5 percent from the three-point line. She appeared in all eight of Connecticut’s playoff games during the 2019 season in the team’s run to the WNBA Finals.

She’ll provide the Sparks with some quality depth on the wing, especially on the defensive end of the court. Last season, the Sparks were one of the best defensive teams in the league and they ensured their defense will still be formidable with the re-signing of Brittney Sykes and the addition of Amanda Zahui B. Holmes is looking forward to being in the mix defensively and showing what she can do.

“I know what they’re capable of doing on defense, it’s clear as day,” Holmes said. “Just adding me, I feel like this gives them more energy and more lift on the defensive end, more athleticism, just being able to play my game and being able to get out in the passing lanes, get steals, and just bring that energy.”

Holmes does bring some playoff experience to a team that despite the big offseason departures, is still looking to remain competitive this upcoming season. She’s been in the playoffs every season of her career thus far going back to her rookie year with the Atlanta Dream in 2016, except for the 2017 season.

Her rookie year, in two playoff games with the Dream, she put up 15.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field. She feels she can bring that experience and bring another strong leadership voice to the Sparks locker room.

“I’ve been to a lot of places in the WNBA already where I’ve been in situations where I was the quiet one. Now since I’m considered a vet, I have to be the one to speak up and speak my mind and say what I feel,” Holmes said. “It’s still a learning game for me as well, there’s vets over there older than me. I’m still willing to take on learning stuff.”

But perhaps one of the biggest reasons for Holmes signing in LA was the pitch from general manager and head coach Derek Fisher. She feels like this is the first time in her career she has a coach that truly believes in her abilities.

“That’s the first step for me, somebody to believe in you,” Holmes said. “I don’t think I’ve had that. For somebody to believe in me and give me an opportunity and say, ‘hey, here you go,’ I think that was big for me and that’s what kind of sold me a lot.”