The Los Angeles Sparks have started this season in an eerily similar fashion to last season, with the team 1-3 but four-time All-Star guard Kelsey Plum playing out of her mind.
“Sparks guard Kelsey Plum is the only player in WNBA history to begin a season with four games of at least 25 points while shooting 55.0% or higher from the field,” Sparks PR posted on X on Sunday night. “The only players in WNBA history with such a four-game streak at any point in a season are A’ja Wilson, Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor and now Plum.”
The Sparks lost to the Toronto Tempo, 109-96, in Los Angeles on Sunday. Plum scored 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. Los Angeles’ lone win of the season so far came against the Tempo on Friday. Plum had 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor (4-of-8 from three) in that game.
“We’re just not in rhythm offensively right now,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts told reporters after Sunday’s loss. “That’s, to me, missing some shots we normally hit, kick-out threes, not making them the way we want to, and then not getting stops. It puts so much pressure on your offense, especially when you get down a couple possessions, and you just can’t get stops, and it just puts pressure on your offense. That makes the rim a little smaller. It makes KP have to do too much.”
In the same postgame press conference, Plum spoke about the Sparks needing to develop resilience moving forward.
“In this league, it’s not a matter of if you get punched, it’s when you get punched, [and] you’ve gotta be able to take it and punch back,” the two-time WNBA champion said.
The Sparks haven’t reached the playoffs since 2020 and haven’t won the WNBA title since 2016.
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