Sparks sign point guard Sharnee' Zoll

The Sparks aren't doing much talking this year - they're just making a lot of big moves. From Sparks HQ:

Los Angeles Sparks Sign Point Guard Sharneé Zoll
Free Agent Acquisition is the ACC Record Holder for Career Assists

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks have signed point guard Sharneé Zoll to a free agent contract, Vice President and General Manager Penny Toler announced Thursday. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The 5-foot- Zoll graduated from the University of Virginia in 2008 as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time assist leader (785) and has played extensively in Europe over the past four seasons, the last two with CCC Polkowice in Poland. Currently leading the Polish League in assists (6.0 per game) for a second straight year, Zoll has also helped Polkowice reach the knockout stage of the 2011-12 EuroLeague. Among her teammates is Sparks center Jantel Lavender.

“I’m really excited about ‘Zollie’,” said Sparks Head Coach Carol Ross, who previously worked with Zoll while an assistant on USA Basketball’s gold-medal winning team at the FIBA Under-19 World Championships. “She brings a lot of spirit and energy to the court, is a great teammate and loves to get up-and-down the floor. I feel very fortunate that she’s hopping aboard the LA Sparks’ train.”

Zoll was a three-time All-ACC performer at Virginia, where she broke Dawn Staley’s school and ACC record for career assists. The Marlboro, N.J., native scored 1,169 points in her four-year Cavalier career, and as a senior was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation’s top point guard. Starting all but one of her 132 career games at UVa, Zoll was a three-time team captain.

“This is a dream come true. Most little girls dream of coming to LA to become an actress, but I’ve always dreamed of becoming a Spark,” Zoll said. “Ever since the league formed, the Sparks have been a marquee franchise, and I want to help this team return to a championship level. I’m going to get the ball where it needs to go; we have a lot of great scorers it can go to.”

The Sparks will tip-off the 2012 season Friday, May 18 at the Seattle Storm before the same two teams do battle at STAPLES Center on Sunday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m. For group and season ticket information, call 877-44-SPARKS or visit LASparks.com.