Sparks guard Sydney Wiese is first WNBA player to contract COVID-19

Sparks guard Sydney Wiese is the first WNBA player to test positive for the coronavirus.

The third-year player from Phoenix, who starred at Oregon State, announced the result on Twitter.

Wiese, 24, said that she is “feeling well — fortunate to only show mild symptoms, but I am capable of spreading it.”

Wiese, who is in Phoenix under self-quarantine, wrote on Twitter that “all of us are united in our fight to stop this spread and keep everyone safe/healthy. I will do my part, and I hope you do too.”

Like many other WNBA players, Wiese spent the offseason playing in Spain, a hotbed for transmission of the coronavirus.

The 6-foot guard said that a lack of testing was an initial problem after she fell ill.

“I was denied two times because I wasn’t showing enough symptoms,” she wrote on Twitter, “but I am someone who SHOULD receive a test. Unsure if I am well or not, some symptoms, but not the main ones.”

In three seasons with the Sparks, who drafted her with the 11th overall selection in 2017, Wiese has averaged 3.1 points and just under one rebound and one assist in 71 games. Last season she averaged 20.6 minutes, 4.8 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds while playing in all 32 games.

In 20 Spanish league games with Cadi La Seu, Wiese averaged 9.4 points on 58.5% shooting from the field, 33.7% from three-point range. She also averaged 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 minutes. The league suspended play after a round of games on Feb. 29.

Wiese’s play in the EuroCup tournament was better. She averaged 28.8 minutes, 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 10 games. She shot 56.4% from the field and 40.0% from long range.

The WNBA season is scheduled to start May 15. The spring draft will be done remotely April 17, with training camps scheduled to open April 26. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert released a statement last week saying the league is working with health and medical experts to determine when its season might start.