Shey Peddy Signs Hardship Contract with Los Angeles Sparks
Shey Peddy is back in the WNBA. The veteran guard and 2025 Athletes Unlimited Defensive Player of the Year has signed a hardship contract with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Sparks were left short-handed ahead of Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx, with guard Julie Allemand away playing in the EuroBasket for Belgium, Rae Burrell ruled out with a knee injury, and Odyssey Sims sidelined for personal reasons. Peddy joins the roster as a temporary addition under the league’s hardship exception, which allows teams to exceed the 12-player limit when multiple players are inactive.
Peddy brings five seasons of WNBA experience, including time with Washington and Phoenix. She appeared in 18 games for the Mercury in 2023 and posted a career-high 9.9 points per game in 2022 while starting 24 games. She was originally drafted in 2012 by the Chicago Sky but made her league debut seven years later, carving out a late-blooming career.
Her strong two-way play continued this past AU season, where she was named Defensive Player of the Year and ranked 12th overall on the leaderboard. Peddy started the final five games of the season, notched six double-digit scoring performances, and earned MVP recognition during Week Four. She finished the year with 3,741 leaderboard points and helped anchor her team with consistent production on both ends of the floor.
Peddy was a standout at Temple University, earning Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012 and remains the program’s single-season steals leader. She has also played internationally in Turkey, Latvia, and the United Kingdom, where she helped the London Lions to a EuroCup title in 2023.
Now back in the W, she provides an experienced backcourt option as the Sparks continue to manage a shorthanded rotation.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
