NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Heading into their Commissioner’s Cup game against the Seattle Storm, the Sparks sit at 5-6. With the league’s leading scorer, Kelsey Plum, on the roster, it has been a very mixed bag through the first quarter of the season. A look at the good, the bad, and the ugly seems to be the perfect way to look at the season so far. One word to describe what we’ve seen so far, it’s complicated. Head coach Lynne Roberts has a roster loaded with talent and potential but also questions that need answers fast. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s working, what’s not, and what has Sparks fans covering their eyes.
🟢 THE GOOD: Kelsey Plum Is Playing Out of Her Mind
Let’s start with the obvious: Kelsey Plum is flat-out different this season. Through the first stretch of play, the veteran guard has been the most dominant offensive force in the WNBA, averaging a career-high 26.8 points per game while shooting nearly 59% from the field and close to 49% from deep. She earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors in Week Two, and her four consecutive games with 25+ points tied a league record, per ESPN.
Dearica Hamby has also been a quiet monster. Through 11 games, the versatile forward is putting up 15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, consistently flirting with double-doubles and doing the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in highlight reels. When Plum and Hamby are both cooking, this team is hard to guard.
On the legacy front, Nneka Ogwumike has been everything the Sparks hoped for when they brought her in. She surpassed Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings to move into fifth place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list and became the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals made. She showed up huge in the game 11 win over Portland, dropping 20 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Veteran guard Erica Wheeler has also provided steady depth, ranking among the league’s top assist contributors off the bench.
🟡 THE BAD: Home Court Has Been a Nightmare
The Sparks have been a completely different team depending on the zip code. Their road record has been respectable, picking up wins away from home, but Crypto.com Arena has been a house of horrors early on. The home struggles are real and represent a concern that goes beyond a small sample size.
The defense has also been a persistent issue. I feel like half my posts on Threads are about bad defense. The Sparks rank 15th in defensive rating through the first weeks of play, which essentially makes them the WORST defensive team in the league. Allowing opponents to score at will cancels out a lot of what Plum and company are generating on the other end. Against elite teams like the Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings, those defensive lapses turned close games into blowouts. The Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers combined to shred the Sparks for over 45 points in one matchup alone, which tells you everything you need to know about the defensive vulnerability.
To their credit, the Sparks did snap a three-game losing streak with that dominant win over Portland — outscoring them 23-12 in the third quarter to pull away, but consistency on that end of the floor remains the central challenge. It is REALLY bad, and it comes down to effort on that end of the floor, along with some improved coaching in my opinion.
🔴 THE UGLY: Losing Plum to Injury — And the Spiral That Followed
The ugliest stretch of the Sparks’ season came when Kelsey Plum went down with an ankle injury, forcing her to miss three consecutive games. Without their engine, the offense stalled, and Los Angeles dropped those three games in a row. It was a brutal reminder of just how dependent this team is on Plum to function.
The broader concern is balance. When Plum is off the floor, whether due to injury or foul trouble, there’s a significant drop-off in offensive execution. Cameron Brink, who was expected to be a key contributor in her second full season, has dealt with early foul trouble, limiting her impact. But I will say, since her coach “called her out,” I love the moments she has been on the floor. Becoming a rim protector and finding her offensive game. The Sparks’ defensive rating being last in the league is ugly in its own right, and it’s going to keep them out of contention in close games against playoff-caliber opponents until it’s addressed.
The Bottom Line: The Sparks have the offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the league when healthy. But this team’s ceiling and floor are miles apart right now. If Lynne Roberts can tighten up the defense and develop consistency at home, a playoff run is very much on the table. If not, Plum’s historic individual season could end in another postseason-less September. Roberts also should start to feel the sort of warm, tingly feeling in her seat that no coach wants to feel.
The culture is there. The talent is there. Now it’s time to put it all together. Next up for the Sparks are the Storm, Phoenix, Saturday, and Golden State, Monday. What do you think about the squad so far? Let me know in the comments.
