Kelsey Plum was listed as probable for Friday night’s game against the Dallas Wings after missing the Los Angeles Sparks’ last three games with a right ankle sprain. The update came Thursday, and it pointed to a possible return for the team’s leading scorer after a brief but costly absence.
Plum hurt her ankle in practice on May 26, then missed the next three games and did not travel with the team on its recent road trip. She was a full participant in Thursday’s practice, and Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said, “She looks great,” adding, “I think she’ll be ready.”
That matters because Plum had been carrying a heavy load before the injury. Through six games, she led the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game while shooting 58.9% from the field and 48.8% from three-point range. The Sparks entered Friday at 4-5, and they dropped two of the three games she missed.
Plum did not sound bothered by the stretch away from the floor. She said she spent recovery time “rehabbing like a maniac,” sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and using red light therapy to push her way back. She also called the setback “a blessing in disguise,” saying younger players got more opportunity to learn coach’s system, take on more responsibility and get a better feel for the offense.
That is the part Los Angeles has been living with since the injury: a team trying to keep pace without its biggest star, even as Plum’s absence gave others a chance to grow into bigger roles. The Sparks have not reached the postseason since 2020, and games like Friday’s have taken on extra weight as they try to avoid falling behind early.
Plum, a four-time WNBA All-Star, said she plans to slide back in and do whatever the team needs. “I just want to win,” she said. Whether that happens Friday night or after one more update, the Sparks’ next answer will come at tipoff against Dallas.
