NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Back in May, I asked whether Kelsey Plum, Nneka Ogwumike and Ariel Atkins could bring a title to Los Angeles. Four months later, the Sparks sit at 16-27, eliminated, with one game left today against a playoff-bound Golden State team. The playoff drought that has been going since 2020 is the longest in the league, hard to see it ending anytime soon.
The Good
There are real bright spots. L.A. opened 7-6 with Plum, the league’s leading scorer at the time, who hung 38 on Las Vegas on May 23. For a little bit this was a top 3 offense with fans dreaming of postseason trips.
Then there is Nneka. Ogwumike who came home for what turned out to be a farewell tour, earned an All-Star nod, and sank a buzzer beater against the Liberty in the league’s 30th anniversary game. As a fan, I’m grateful. As a reporter, I’ll say she was the steadiest player on the roster all year long.
Rae Burrell might be the best story of the season. Once she got into the starting five, she hit career highs across the board, shooting over 40% from deep since Plum went down. She is also a restricted free agent this winter. Keeping her should be priority ONE.
The Bad
Health messed up everything. Plum went down with a lower leg injury in June, and L.A. won four of the 20 games after. Cameron Brink missed time with an ankle injury as well. When Cam is on the floor, I saw flashes of a potential star talent, especially on the defensive side of the floor. She needs to improve on picking up silly fouls, which also limited her playing time.
Fix the defense because it never was. Areil Atkins was brought in to shore it up, and the Sparks ended up at the bottom of all defensive categories. Atkins also put up career lows on offense with no Plum to fill the holes; the Sparks had nowhere to hide and got exposed.
The Ugly
I understand why LA didn’t want to lose Plum for nothing. The package of Monique Akoa, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-rounder is a weak return for a 5x All-Star having a career year. I asked during the deadline if it could be the worst or one of the worst trades in W history, and I’m not backing off that question. And the real kicker to me is Phoenix, the team that went “all in”, is 16-27 and eliminated too.
The chaos off the court didn’t help. GM Raegan Pebley was let go shortly after Plum’s injury, and Ariana Andonian, who comes from Duke men’s basketball and the 76ers’ G League team, took over. Head coach Lynne Roberts won 21 games last year, and this season was a clear step backward.
What’s Next
Ogwumike is retiring, Emma Cannon is an unrestricted free agent, and Burrell needs a new deal. On the plus side, Brink is under contract for 2027, LA has just under $4 million in cap space, and between its own pick and Phoenix’s, the Sparks hold two lottery picks in what will be a very deep draft. A new 150 million practice facility is projected to open next year, which won’t hurt when courting free agents.
My honest take? My basketball gut tells me this roster isn’t good enough or healthy enough to justify running it back, and now new GM Andonian should treat this as a reset. The fan in me, the one who watched a 7-6 start and thought this might finally be the year, says burn it down to the studs and build it right. Both sides agree on one thing: Sparks fans have EARNED a plan, not another blockbuster.
Thursday’s finale at home against the Valkyries won’t change LA’s fate, but it’s likely the last time we see Nneka Ogwumike in a Sparks uniform. Soak it in, because the real work starts at the final whistle.
