Nobody in the WNBA has been harder to guard this season than Kelsey Plum. Through six games with the Los Angeles Sparks, she has been a problem defenses cannot solve, carrying her team on her back while flashing the kind of efficiency that puts her in rarefied company.
Now, an ankle sprain sustained in Tuesday’s practice has forced her to the sideline. The Sparks confirmed via press release that Plum will be re-evaluated in one week, ruling her out for at least the next two games against the Washington Mystics on Friday and the Connecticut Sun on Saturday.
Sparks reporter Justin Russo revealed that Plum was helped off the court by teammates after suffering a lower right leg injury during the structured five-on-five portion of practice. Head coach Lynne Roberts addressed the situation afterward, saying it looked “like an ankle,” though she did not have further details on the severity at that point.
Plum is leading the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game on a career-high 58.9 percent shooting from the field and 48.8 percent from three-point range. She is also averaging 6.3 assists per game, a career best. The last time we saw her, she posted 38 points and nine assists on 12-for-17 shooting as the Sparks beat the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces 101-95 on Saturday. That performance earned her the AP Player of the Week honor for the fourth time in her career.
After the win, Roberts described Kelsey Plum’s output in a way that captured exactly what makes her so dangerous this season. “The most unselfish 38 points I’ve ever seen,” Roberts said.
Plum herself spoke after the Aces win about the mindset driving her season. “I just want to get better. I want to get better every year. I want to come back every year better,” she said. “My dream would be to go 50, 40, 90.”
Only two players in WNBA history have finished a regular season shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the line: Elena Delle Donne in 2019 and Napheesa Collier in 2025. Plum is chasing something historic, and an ankle sprain is the one thing slowing her down.
The Sparks Need Kelsey Plum Back In More Than One Week
Ankle sprains can heal in days or linger for weeks depending on severity, and the one-week window does not guarantee a return date. It means the Sparks will get a clearer picture, not a green light. The June 2 home game against the Aces is possible, but it is not a safe bet.
Los Angeles sits at 3-3 and has just found something worth building on. Winning two straight, including a road win against Las Vegas, felt like the Sparks turning a corner. Without Kelsey Plum, the offensive burden shifts to Dearica Hamby, Nneka Ogwumike, and guards Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler. Ogwumike returned to practice on Tuesday after missing the Aces game with a left hand injury, which is at least one piece of good news in an otherwise difficult day for the franchise.
The Sparks managed to stay afloat last season without Plum at various points, and the Indiana Fever showed a season ago that teams can absorb star absences without completely falling apart. But those examples come with caveats. Plum is not just the team’s best player. She is the engine. She has led Los Angeles in scoring in five of their six games this season.
The next few weeks will reveal a lot about this Sparks roster. If they can hold serve through a manageable stretch and get Kelsey Plum back close to full health, the upside of this team remains real. But if the ankle drags into June or Plum returns before she is ready, the gains from that Saturday win in Las Vegas could evaporate fast.
