Kelsey Plum sprained her ankle at practice on Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Sparks announced. She will be re-evaluated in one week, which means she’ll miss at least three games, if not more than that. The Sparks are scheduled to face the Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Las Vegas Aces over the coming weeks.
Now, they’ll have to get through those games without their best player — and one of the best players in the WNBA as a whole.
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Plum has been the WNBA’s leading scorer so far, averaging 26.8 points per game. She’s shooting 58.9% from the field and 48.8% from three through the season’s first 6 games, while also averaging 6.3 assists per game, the 5th-most in the league.
The Sparks, meanwhile, are 3-3, winners of three of their last four games after starting the year 0-3.
But, Plum’s absence throws a wrench in things. The roster’s other guards — Rae Burell, Ariel Atkins, Erica Wheeler, Chance Gray, Ta’Niya Latson — will have the opportunities to step up, but none of those players bring Plum’s scoring prowess to the table.
Wheeler will have to play a particularly important role as a playmaker; the 35-year-old veteran is currently averaging 5.5 points and 4.8 assists in 27 minutes per game, but will likely see the ball in her hands more with Plum sidelined.
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Dearica Hamby, Nneka Ogwumike will also need to step up
The Sparks will also need more from their second and third-leading scorers, Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike. Hamby is averaging 18.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Ogwumike is averaging 15.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In the wake of Plum’s absence, both will have to stuff the stat sheet.
One positive for the Sparks? Cameron Brink is beginning to play some of her basketball. Brink tore her ACL a few months after being drafted second overall in 2024, but began the season fully healthy and has been increasingly impactful.
She was great in Saturday’s 101-95 Sparks win over the Las Vegas Aces, tallying 16 points on 7-11 shooting to go along with a steal and a block. That was her fourth double-digit scoring game in five outings. While Brink plays an entirely different role than Plum on the court, with the All-Star guard sidelined, her offensive contributions become even more important.
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The good news for Los Angeles is that an ankle sprain is not a long-term concern, and Plum should be back in action sooner rather than later. But, they’ll have to find ways to survive the absence of one of the league’s most formidable scorers.
