Sparks Provide Massive Injury Update Ahead of Home Opener
The Los Angeles Sparks pulled off a convincing 84-67 season-opening win over the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night — a timely victory to begin 2025 in front of a sellout Chase Center crowd.
Despite the double-digit result and a career night for star guard Kelsey Plum, fellow backcourt running mate Rae Burrell sustained a right leg injury within the game's opening minute, just 41 seconds in.
Read more: Kelsey Plum's Career Night Leads Sparks to 84-67 Win Over Valkyries
"Thank you for all the love and prayers," the 6-foot-2 guard, now in her fourth season in Los Angeles, shared on social media following the injury.
Thank you for all the love and prayers🙏🏽❤️
— Rae Burrell🖤 (@Raehoops) May 17, 2025
On Saturday, the Sparks announced Burrell will miss six to eight weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.
Burrell averaged 5.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per game in 2024.
RAE BURRELL 😱
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 16, 2024
Make that 9 PTS on 3-4 shooting
📲 Live on X pic.twitter.com/l5hxyDqXHP
Prior to Sunday's home-opener, Sparks' coach Lynne Roberts noted the expectation for others — such as rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker — to step up in the Los Angeles backcourt in the wake of Burrell's injury.
"Yes, maybe [Barker's] minutes are going to be a little bit expedited in terms of our need for her now," Roberts said. "But I have so much confidence.
"[Rae Burrell] was ready to roll ... it's just sometimes life sucks and bad things happen," she added. "I spoke with her yesterday for a long time — she's okay. I think it could have been worse, we were all worried it was going to be worse ... It's just unfortunate, but it's part of it. Next man up."
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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