When Kelsey Plum Could Return to the Sparks After Suffering Ankle Sprain

The Sparks will be without Kelsey Plum will miss at least a few games after she suffered an ankle sprain in Tuesday’s practice, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, reporter Justin Russo shared that Plum had to be helped off the basketball court during Los Angeles’s practice. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said it “looks like an ankle [injury]” after practice, but the team didn’t know the severity of Plum’s injury until later.

Philippou noted that Plum will be re-evaluated in a week, meaning she’ll miss at least the next two games. The Sparks travel to Washington to face the Mystics on Friday night, then will face the Sun in Connecticut on Saturday night. It’s unknown whether Plum will travel with the team.

The Sparks return home to face Plum’s former team, the Aces, on Tuesday, June 2. Plum just competed against Las Vegas on Saturday, posting a season-high 38 points, four rebounds and nine assists in 37 minutes played. The Sparks beat the reigning champions 101–95. There’s a chance Plum will be cleared to play in next week’s contest against the Aces, but she could remain on the bench a bit longer if her ankle sprain doesn’t improve.

Plum’s absence will definitely be noted. The guard leads the WNBA in points per game with 26.8, which is also her career-best. Plum’s scored at least 25 points in five of the Sparks’ six contests. She’s shooting 59% from the floor and 49% from the three-point range. She’s also averaging a career-high of 6.3 assists per game. Her second season in Los Angeles is off to a hot start, and the Sparks hope this injury doesn’t hamper her for long once she does return to the court.

The Sparks are 3–3 so far this season. L.A. is coming off two wins in a row, bringing them back to .500. We’ll see how the squad does without Plum in the starting lineup over the next couple games.

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