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Liatu King

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Liatu King
No. 4 – Los Angeles Sparks
Position
Personal information
Born (2002-02-10) February 10, 2002 (age 23)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career information
High schoolBishop McNamara High School
College
WNBA draft2025: 3rd round, 28th overall pick
Drafted byLos Angeles Sparks
Playing career2025–present
Career history
2025–presentLos Angeles Sparks
Career highlights
  • First-team All-ACC (2024)
  • Second-team All-ACC (2025)
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Liatu King (born February 10, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Sparks in the third round of the 2025 WNBA draft.

Early years

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King was born on February 10, 2002 in Washington, D.C.[1] She attended Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland[2] where she led the school's basketball team to a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship; she scored a team-high 13 points in the championship game.[1]

College career

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King began her college basketball career with the Pittsburgh Panthers. She played in all 19 games of her freshman year, averaging 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She played in 26 games during her sophomore year, averaging 7.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and recording double-doubles in consecutive games on two occasions. In her junior year, King played in all 30 games, averaging 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game and recording five more double-doubles. In her senior year, she averaged 18.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game on her way to securing 18 more double-doubles and first-team All-ACC honors.[1]

King's 18 double-doubles, 598 points, 329 rebounds, and 58 blocks as a senior ranked first, third, second, and first, respectively, in a season in Pittsburgh program history. She chose to play college basketball for a fifth season, transferring to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to do so.[3]

In her fifth-year senior season at Notre Dame, King averaged 11.5 points and 2.0 steals per game. She also averaged 10.4 rebounds per game, a Notre Dame program record. King recorded 14 double-doubles on the season. Notre Dame qualified for the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, advancing as far as the Sweet Sixteen. She recorded ten points and six points in a round of 64 win over the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks, added 18 points and 15 rebounds in a round of 32 victory against the Michigan Wolverines, and ended her college career with 17 points and ten rebounds in the Sweet Sixteen loss to the TCU Horned Frogs. She was named second-team All-ACC for her season at Notre Dame.[1]

Professional career

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King was selected in the third round (28th overall) of the 2025 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.[4] The Sparks waived King on May 11, 2025[5] but re-signed her to a hardship contract on May 20.[6]

Personal life

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King has a younger sister. Both of King's parents are deaf; she began learning American Sign Language (ASL) at nine months old. As a child, King played American football as a linebacker.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Liatu King". University of Notre Dame athletics. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  2. ^ "Liatu King WNBA stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  3. ^ Campbell, Dominic (May 6, 2024). "Pitt F Liatu King Finds New Home". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  4. ^ Bell, Gayle (April 14, 2025). "What are the Los Angeles Sparks getting in Liatu King after drafting the Notre Dame guard". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  5. ^ Geffner, Ben (May 13, 2025). "Sparks Waive Rookie Ahead of 2025 Roster Deadline". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  6. ^ Neill, Jackson (May 20, 2025). "Former Notre Dame forward Liatu King signs hardship deal with Los Angeles Sparks". WNDU-TV. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  7. ^ Meyer, Craig (December 1, 2021). "How being raised in a deaf household shaped Pitt's Liatu King". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
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