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Former MSU center Jasmine Hines signs WNBA contract with LA Sparks

April 18, 2016
Sophomore guard Branndais Agee, 10, reacts to a comment by graduate student center Jasmine Hines, 4, on Jan. 10, 2016 during the game against Northwestern at Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Wildcats, 74-51.
Sophomore guard Branndais Agee, 10, reacts to a comment by graduate student center Jasmine Hines, 4, on Jan. 10, 2016 during the game against Northwestern at Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Wildcats, 74-51. —
Photo by Sundeep Dhanjal | and Sundeep Dhanjal The State News

Former MSU center Jasmine Hines has agreed to terms to play in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks, according to the MSU athletic department.

Hines is the second Spartan to sign with a WNBA team, after former teammate Aerial Powers was drafted fifth-overall by the Dallas Wings in last week’s draft held at Uncasville, Conn.

“This is something that I have dreamed about of doing since I was a kid, so to be presented with the opportunity is amazing,” Hines said in the release. “I am really excited about the whole process. I just wanted to thank Coach Merchant and all the coaches at Michigan State, my family and all my teammates for all their support.”

Hines will be the third player on the Sparks’ roster from a Big Ten school, joining Kristi Toliver from Maryland and Jantel Lavender from Ohio State University.

The 6-foot-3 center returned to MSU for her fifth and final season with the Spartans after missing most of the 2014-15 season with concussion-like symptoms. Hines played in all 34 games for the Spartans and started in 33 of them. Hines shot .561 from the floor in her final season, and finished second on the team with 213 rebounds and led the roster with 26 blocks.

Hines helped lead the Spartans to a thrilling 107-105 triple overtime win against No. 5-ranked Ohio State on Senior Day, scoring a career-high 36 points in the affair.

The Sparks posted a 14-20 record in 2015 and finished fourth in the Western Conference, losing to top-seed Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference Semifinals, 2-1.

Los Angeles will open the preseason play against the Atlanta Dream on May 7 before officially starting the 2016 season on May 15 when they take on the Seattle Storm.

Hines and the Sparks will face off against Powers and the Wings three times during the regular season. Their first encounter will be on June 11 in Dallas, followed by a match-up on June 28 in Los Angeles. The third and final regular season meeting will be on Sept. 2 in Dallas.

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