NEW YORK – The WNBA announced today that Los Angeles Sparks forward-center Azurá Stevens is the recipient of the Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of her extensive efforts to support and uplift youth across Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.

Throughout the 2024 WNBA season, Stevens participated in local events involving more than 2,000 children. She assisted with a shoe drive, helped conduct several basketball clinics and visited patients at an area hospital multiple times. Stevens also took part in youth outreach programs through her team’s Jr. Sparks platform.

“Community outreach is so important because, without a strong community, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Stevens said. “The people around us help shape our identities, and where I grew up, my community played a huge role in making me the person I am today. I’m incredibly grateful to have been embraced by the Los Angeles community, and I’m excited to continue giving back and deepening my connection here. It’s an honor to be able to inspire, serve and impact the next generation, just as my community did for me.”

Highlights of Stevens’ efforts in the community are included below:

• Air West Skills Clinic: On May 8, Stevens worked with youth on fundamental basketball drills and participated in a Q&A session.

• Shoes That Fit Community Shoe Drive: On May 22, Stevens helped distribute 900 pairs of new shoes to the entire student body of South Park Elementary School in an underserved community of South Central Los Angeles.

• UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital Visit: On July 15, Stevens made one of several visits to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital to spend one-on-time with patients and engage with parents and nurses.

• Jr. Sparks x Shiekh Impact: On Aug. 10, Stevens attended a Jr. Sparks x Shiekh Impact back-to-school event for more than 100 girls in Compton. Additionally, on Sept. 16, she helped host a Jr. Sparks clinic and shared tips about healthy habits.

• Read to Achieve: On Sept. 20 at South Park Elementary School, Stevens visited classrooms, read to students and answered questions about being a professional athlete. 

Stevens recently completed her seventh WNBA season. She has career regular-season averages of 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 176 games. A standout player in high school in North Carolina and in college at Duke and Connecticut, Stevens was selected by the Dallas Wings with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft. She has played the last two seasons with the Sparks after stints with the Wings (2018-19) and the Chicago Sky (2020-22).

In recognition of Stevens’ commitment to the community, the WNBA will donate $20,000 to United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County in North Carolina.