In their opening night contest against the Las Vegas Aces, the Los Angeles Sparks found themselves trailing by 16 points entering the fourth quarter.
As has been true for the majority of the 2020s, a loss felt not only likely but inevitable.
Nobody told Kelsey Plum that.
On LA’s first offensive possession in the fourth, Plum knocked down a 3 with Jewel Loyd draped over her. The next play, she splits the defense, drives into the paint and draws a foul on Chelsea Gray. After that, she makes one of her two
free throws.
Deeper into the quarter, Plum continued her offensive onslaught.
She grabbed the ball at the top of the key in a triple threat position. Then, she paused and went through her options. Plum thought about passing overhead to Nneka Ogwumike, but opted against it. She then took a jab step, but Loyd didn’t bite. Plum took one more, and with Loyd remaining put, she took the deep 3 and drilled it.
She was now in the flow state. Everything ran as smooth as butter and all offensive options were on the table. Midway through the quarter, Plum went coast-to-coast and scored on a layup. Then she made her third 3 of the period, this time a stepback over Jackie Young.
It was her 27th point of the game, and Plum was putting on a show. It didn’t flip the result, but it was a prime example of the type of player and leader she is for this franchise.
“I want to be on what KP is on,” Nneka Ogwumike said postgame. “Y’all saw what she was doing in that second half, most of that fourth quarter. That is what needs to be happening from top to bottom.”
While Plum hasn’t done much winning in Los Angeles, it isn’t due to a lack of trying.
She is always clawing for every advantage, fighting to put her team on top on the court. And off it, the leadership doesn’t stop. Whether it’s answering questions with the media, being a leader in practice, or sacrificing some money by not taking the supermax, Plum consistently has put the team ahead of her own self-interest.
In Friday’s home game against the Toronto Tempo, her efforts finally aligned with an appropriate reward: a convincing win. Plum had a great game, scoring 27 points and dishing out nine assists, but in the fourth, Toronto was still alive.
So, Plum took the responsibility of closing the game out in her hands. It was a buffet of buckets for Plum, featuring 3s, layups at the rim and a trio of free throws.
In the closing minutes, LA was up by just four, but Plum kept on attacking. She steamrolled to the basket, and the moment she touched the paint, she let off a shot. Plum scored it, and a slight grin was on her face. Maybe it was joy. Perhaps it was satisfaction. Whatever it was, it was a win for LA and a step in the right direction.
“I thought we got better looks tonight because we were in the right spot,” Plum said after the win. “Our spacing was better. My goal is to play like this the whole year in terms of just being patient and just taking what the defense gives us.”
So far, it’s been more of Plum taking from these defenses than them giving her anything.
Her scoring isn’t just a good stretch of games; it’s a historic start. She’s the first player in WNBA history to start a season scoring at least 25 points per game while making at least 55 percent of her shots.
On the season, Plum is averaging 26.3 points and 5.0 assists per game. She is also making 58 percent of her shots and shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range. All of these numbers would be career highs for the four-time All-Star.
Her offensive arsenal is not some secret. Everyone has years of tape on her play. However, stopping what is already coming can prove to be an exercise in futility.
Plum is too strong to get bullied, even by the best defenders. Double teams are commonplace for Plum, and she’s often able to play through the contact, get into the paint and draw fouls. She is currently a perfect 13-for-13 on shots at the rim and is taking a team-high 27 free throws, converting on 77 percent of them.
Plum also has the ability to create space with her elite change of pace. She can decelerate as well as anyone, and once she has you off balance, she knows all the angles. She can shoot or pass fake her way to an open look. And her gather step is unmatched. Even when she doesn’t appear to gain an advantage, she’ll just score over you on a tough shot.
Now 1-3 on the season after LA fell to Toronto on Sunday, despite an efficient 28 points from Plum, the Sparks have plenty to work on.
They are an older team, and winning is a priority. With many key players, including Plum, signed to one-year deals, the time is now to produce or reconsider how they are rebuilding in Los Angeles.
This early on in the WNBA season, there are more questions than answers, but one thing is certain, whatever success the 2026 Sparks have, Plum will be a big part of it.
