The 27-year-old had hoped the move would rejuvenate her international career which had stalled due to injury.
But unfortunately an old back injury flared up. She had surgery on Wednesday and faces a lengthy period of rehabilitation.
Leydon-Davis could not be reached for comment yesterday but has previously said she was looking forward to linking up White Ferns trio Suzie Bates, Katey Martin and Hayley Jensen and working with coach Craig Cumming.
Cumming described the development as bitterly disappointing for the player and for the the team.
"It is a real blow for Felicity because it is an injury which is affecting her life," Cumming said.
"She was excited about coming down here and playing for the Sparks and we were excited to have her but that is going to be put on hold.
"Having a player with that experience coming into our group would have been fantastic."
It is not the first time Leydon-Davis has wound up on the operation table. She has had a couple of surgeries to correct a disc bulge in the past, so she is familiar with rehabilitation.
She basically spent the past five years clawing her way back to full fitness.
Leydon-Davis spent 12 years with Northern Districts but moved to Christchurch just before lockdown last year.
The right-hander had considered playing for Canterbury but decided Otago was a better fit.
She was hoping to reinvent herself as a batter who could bowl a bit and hopefully make her way back into the national side.
The right-armer played the last of her eight T20s for New Zealand in 2016 and made one appearance in the ODI side in 2014.
In her only ODI appearance she picked up a five-wicket bag, so was unlucky not to get another run.
She has also represented New Zealand at badminton. Her brother, Oliver Leydon-Davis, and sister, Susannah Leydon-Davis, teamed up together for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
