It was all good just a week ago.
On Sunday, June 21, the Sparks were high off a comeback win against the Liberty. It was the sweet taste of victory mixed with the celebratory vibes surrounding the anniversary of the first WNBA game—New York against Los Angeles—that had Sparks fans rejoicing in their best win of the year.
However, on the other side of joy is pain.
Even in victory, the looming loss to come was protruding. Kelsey Plum was visibly hobbling throughout the contest and kept adding tape to her
leg after each quarter.
Plum continued to play, but days afterward, the team ruled her out for at least four weeks with a lower left leg injury.
The Sparks haven’t won since.
Over the past two games, they’ve lost in blowout fashion. They gave up 53 points to Marina Mabrey, tied for most any player has ever scored in a WNBA game, and 125 points to the Toronto Tempo overall.
Then they followed that performance up with an equally disappointing one. LA lost to the Indiana Fever 111-87, and that score doesn’t even reflect how out of hand things got for the Sparks. They trailed by as many as 35 and led only during the opening minute of the game, when Nneka Ogwumike scored the first points.
This dark turn of events has only made it crystal clear how valuable Plum has been to the Sparks. When she plays, they are 7-5, and when she is out, they have only one win.
With Plum out at least until July 21, that means LA has at least seven games to play without her.
Is it possible for them to tread water enough to still be a playoff contender when she returns? Here are two non-negotiables for the Sparks.
The Sparks have to embrace the challenge on the defensive end
This entire season, Plum available or not, defense has been a problem for the Sparks. They have the worst defensive rating in the league at 114.5.
During their last two contests, they’ve gone from bad to worse with a defensive rating of 136.4. This, obviously, isn’t sustainable if they want to win games.
It’s going to take a total team effort to fix this.
That means Ariel Atkins has to embrace her individual assignments and remain an elite help defender. Nneka Ogwumike has to be a better rim protector and communicate on that side of the ball when she sees rotations being missed. When Cameron Brink returns, she has to stop fouling so much.
No one on the Sparks can say they’ve done a great job on defense, so everyone has room to improve. If they embrace the problem as a team, they can fix it together.
Or they can collapse and kiss this season goodbye. I’m certain Sparks fans are hoping for the former.
Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby need to meet the moment
Plum is a very high usage player and is averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game. She also was playing 34.5 minutes in each contest.
Her absence creates opportunity. This is a chance for other players to take advantage. The Sparks need buckets and there are players on the roster who can step up.
Rae Burrell is having a career year, averaging double figures in points for the first time ever. If she wants to get more shots up, this is a great time to do so. Dearica Hamby has struggled offensively this season. She is taking three fewer shots per game and is converting on just 52 percent of her attempts. Last year, she made 57 percent of her shots, a career-best for the forward. With Plum out, perhaps she can take more shots and become aggressive throughout her game.
It’s not going to be easy for LA to survive without Plum. But this is their path. If the defense improves and players step up, while the rest of the roster stays healthy, they can still have a successful season.
What do you think, Sparks fans? Do you believe the team can do what is necessary to survive without KP?
