LAS VEGAS — Ask anyone in the WNBA about Rae Burrell, and the word "athleticism" is sure to accompany their description of the fifth-year player out of Tennessee.
Ask those same people where she honed her athletic skills, and they may be surprised to learn she excelled on the soccer field at an elite level in Southern Nevada.
It wasn't until high school that she chose basketball over soccer, and turned into one of the Silver State's best players, leading Liberty High School to the state championship game her senior year.
"I think it just kind of sticks with you," Burrell said of the agility and athleticism she brought from the soccer field to the basketball court. "Obviously, I haven't done it in how many years, but I think once you learn something, especially when I was doing it as long as I was ... I feel like it's just kind of muscle memory when it comes to the footwork, and you kind of just remember and you're just able to use that to your advantage."
LA Sparks' Rae Burrell revealed which teammate she'd want by her side on a stranded island and which one she'd kick to the curb 😂
Her answers did not disappoint.
The red-hot Sparks take on the Washington Mystics tonight!
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— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 29, 2026
The Sparks' Ultimate X-Factor
And it's the Los Angeles Sparks who are the beneficiary of a very special talent, whose length and ability to make things happen in critical times are turning her into a not-so-secret weapon off the bench.
"X Factors," two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum said. "We talk about Cam (Brink), but Rae is really going to be the difference for us this year. Because a lot of times (with) great teams, the starting lineup is even, and it's really the bench that has like the most impact in terms of my experience of winning big games and then going on a playoff run.
"So, Rae and Cameron, you can make the argument, are the biggest pieces for us."
Through six games, Burrell has started four times and is averaging 26.2 minutes per game, nearly eight more than her previous career high of 18.4 last season.
The 6-foot-2 swing-guard is certainly making the most of her minutes, averaging 8.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. And it hasn't necessarily been about big numbers with Burrell this season, as it's more so the quality minutes she's providing.
"We all love Rae," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. "I think what her value is that doesn't show up on the stat sheet is just the energy and the athleticism she brings. She's a starter in this league, and you know you're playing on a good team when you can bring somebody like that off the bench.
"Her energy, her ability ... I don't know who's more athletic in the league than her."
As we saw in Los Angeles' recent 101-95 road win over the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces, when Burrell calmly buried a huge 3-pointer with a little more than five minutes left and snared a rebound with roughly 20 seconds left to help preserve the lead for the Sparks.
Oh, and she also drew the assignment of defending reigning league MVP A'ja Wilson.
"She's probably the most athletic person I know, in any sport, just the way she moves," Brink said. "And she's still fully tapping that potential athletically. The sky's the limit for her. And she should just be so confident in her abilities. She's a joy to play with, just a physical phenom, for sure."
Perseverance Has Paid Off
Burrell's progression has been no picnic, either, as her career has taken twists and turns, marred by injuries she's overcome and fought through since her senior year at Tennessee.
Burrell, who will turn 26 on June 21, missed several weeks in her final season in Knoxville due to a knee injury and then returned and helped the Volunteers reach the Sweet 16.
After being drafted ninth overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft, a foot injury kept her out of all but three games her rookie season. She failed to make the roster out of the 2023 training camp, but the team needed her and signed her to a pair of hardship contracts before keeping her aboard the rest of the season.
It wasn't until Feb. 1, 2024, that she signed a multi-year contract with the Sparks. Fresh off the league's newly signed CBA with the players' union, and a record-breaking salary increase for players, Burrell is still making a relatively low $277,500, per Spotrac.com.
Nevertheless, Burrell isn't complaining, as she's content doing what she's always done, quietly having an impact while proving her worth and raising her stock, not to mention gracing social media with one of the most stylish tunnel walks before every game.
"I'm definitely proud of it (with) a lot of belief in myself," Burrell said about the progression of her career. "A lot of naysayers, and a lot of people didn't think that I deserved to be where I was at, but I know the work that I put in, and I let myself trust the process and the work that I put in daily, year-round."
Unrivaled's Impact on Burrell
Burrell credits her offseason work at Unrivaled as one of her biggest stepping stones, as she was able to use her length and athleticism - there's that word again - to thrive in an open space in the 3-on-3 league, something perfect for a player like her. Burrell was able to run the floor, read schemes, and work on the pace of her game.
It also helped that she was guarding the best of the best, allowing her not only to work on her offensive game but also to improve her defensive skills by guarding All-Stars and championship players.
"Watching her kind of blossom over at Unrivaled was fun for me, because I know she's a hooper, she loves to like work, she's in the gym, and she's one of those people who has really high aspirations," Plum said. "She wants it, so I'm excited for her. I think she's gonna continue to have a good year."
W.G. Ramirez is a 39-year veteran sports writer and 54-year resident of Southern Nevada who is a Senior Staff Writer at Ballislife.com. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez.
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