Sparks' Kelsey Plum Delivers Strong Message to Teammate
Second half dominance from the Phoenix Mercury handed Los Angeles its sixth loss of 2025, a 85-80 home defeat at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
Plum scored 15 points in the loss, second to Odyssey Sims — who finished with 32 points, five rebounds and four assists on 10-for-14 shooting.
Read more: Sparks' Cameron Brink Challenges Controversial WNBA Rule
It marked her first 30-plus point game since 2019 and tied Renee Montgomery for 27th all-time in WNBA assists, per a team release.
The Sparks’ guard poured in 14 points on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc in just the first quarter alone.
Odyssey Sims (30 PTS, 10-14 FG) is IN THAT MODE 😈
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 1, 2025
PHX-LAS | League Pass | WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by @coinbase pic.twitter.com/i86wuPtQQ4
Sims' effort matched teammate Azura Stevens' 14-point first period total against Minnesota on May 18 — both of which sit atop the record books as the most points by a player in a WNBA first quarter thus far this season.
Read more: Sparks' Guard Scores Season-High in Loss to Mercury
Despite the eventual loss, Plum delivered strong praise to Sims postgame.
Odyssey Sims just recorded the 6th most efficient 30-PT game in Sparks history.
— Real Sports (@realapp_) June 2, 2025
32 PTS on 87% TS pic.twitter.com/lieXy15K9X
"[Sims has] been incredible," Plum said. "She's one of the fiercest competitors in the league, plays both sides of the ball, extremely physical [and] very strong.
"She knocks people off their spot ... I thought she did a great job," she added. "[She's] one of those people that [when] you go into war, you want her on your team."
Furthermore, Plum discussed the personal impact the pair had prior to the season in wanting to join forces in Los Angeles.
"I remember in the offseason, I hit her and was like, 'Hey ... you want to do it together?'" Plum recalled.
More Sparks news:
A'ja Wilson Speaks Out on Losing Kelsey Plum to Sparks
Sparks' Kelsey Plum Reacts to Georgia Amoore's ACL Injury
International Legend Reveals Reason For Rejoining LA
Sparks Waive Two Players Ahead of 2025 Season
Sparks’ Cameron Brink Revisits Feeling After Tearing ACL
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Sparks, visit Los Angeles Sparks on SI.
Ben Geffner is an award-winning sports journalist and current student at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. A greater Los Angeles native now with countless years of extensive and dedicated experience — including beat reporting, writing, play-by-play broadcast, television anchoring, podcasting and video production — Ben remains eager to contribute as credentialed media covering the LA Sparks.
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