It’s been a grueling week for the Los Angeles Sparks, and an even tougher one for their veteran guard. After falling to the red-hot Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, the Sparks took another hit. A left lower leg injury sidelined Kelsey Plum from Wednesday’s matchup against the Storm. There haven’t been any updates after the last one that head coach Lynne Roberts gave us before losing Wednesday’s game. “One thing about KP is she does rehab and recovery, and she’s so tuned into her body. She’ll know when she’s ready to go, and she’s not ready tonight.” But, again, that’s not where it ends.
No injury or setback can keep the WNBA All-Star from showing up and putting in work at practice. Standing by that, she reported for practice yesterday as usual. But upon her return to the hotel alongside teammate Dearica Marie Hamby, something felt off. A fan greeted Plum, waiting for them right outside their hotel.
In the video, Plum casually walked back after practice, appearing in generally good spirits, but her mood shifted to confusion when she turned to the fan and asked, “Don’t y’all find that kind of weird, lowkey?” She was clearly not impressed and understandably so. However, her reaction sparked an online storm, with many calling her dismissive of her fans. Hamby, though, shared an update later, publicly defending her. As she shared on X, the strange part is that they had just switched hotels for the first time without even publicly disclosing it. So, the fact that someone knew their new location quickly came off less like a coincidence and more like stalking.
Kelsey Plum wasn’t a fan of WNBA fans asking for autographs outside of her hotel
(via MinnyGraphs / TikTok) pic.twitter.com/q5bn5vqIGU
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 19, 2025
Hence, understandably cautious, Plum told the fan, “I’m really turned off right now, I’m not going to lie.” The fan quickly clarified, saying, “I’m just a fan,” and assured her they meant no harm. Still, Plum didn’t hold back from calling them out for showing up uninvited. Despite her initial hesitation, she ultimately gave them the benefit of the doubt. Believing the collection might actually be genuine, she agreed to sign a single item, saying, “Alright, I’ll sign one.”
But while Kelsey Plum faced backlash for her reaction, her frustration comes from several places. After all, even celebrities need their privacy, right? And all the doubtful signs about the fan came at a time when the Sparks are already grappling with serious challenges. They’ve suffered two consecutive blowout losses, with several key players sidelined. Plum herself is out, along with Cameron Brink (left knee) and Rae Burrell (right knee). Odyssey Sims is currently away for personal reasons, and Julie Allemand is unavailable due to overseas commitments. As Roberts said, “I still believe strongly in this group, and we’re not even close to full strength at all”.
LA Sparks dealing with Kelsey Plum’s absence
On Tuesday night, Shey Peddy jogged out in her Los Angeles Sparks uniform for player introductions and accidentally took a wrong turn. It might have been a little moment, but it said a lot. At 36, the guard had only been with the team for less than a week, so the mix-up kind of made sense. She was signed to a hardship deal on June 14. After Julie Allemand left for EuroCup and Odyssey Sims became unavailable for personal reasons.
Right before that same game, the Sparks brought in another player, Grace Berger, their second hardship signing in just three days. This move came after some tough news. It was that Kelsey Plum, who’s been putting up 20.9 points in 36 minutes a game, would miss her first game of the season. This one accounted for only her third absence in four years.
Head coach Lynne Roberts talked about how rushed the process was. She said, “Shey Peddy’s a total pro. She landed at 1 a.m. Saturday in Minneapolis, and we played at noon. So how’d we get her up to speed? Probably not… as much as we’d like. But she was great, she’s been soaking everything up since.” Now, the Sparks were down to just four guards total. Out of which two are on hardship deals, and one, rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker, who is still getting comfortable.
That lack of chemistry showed right away. Against the Storm, they turned the ball over five times in the first seven minutes. After Peddy picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, Berger had to step in as point guard, matching up against six-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, just 24 hours after landing in L.A. “Grace got in Monday night around 8,” Roberts said. “So we had a coach take her to dinner, go over some things, and met up again this morning at shootaround. You do your best, and these players, it’s impressive how they show up ready.”
Despite their hustle, it was a rough night. Seattle forced 22 turnovers and turned them into 31 points. That is the exact difference in the 98-67 blowout. Still, the new players kept their spirits up. “I’ve got great people around me,” Berger told The Next. “My trainer always says, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.’ I knew my chance would come, just didn’t know when. I was hoping sooner rather than later. But I love the game, so staying in the gym’s easy.” However, all that LA really needs right now is Kelsey Plum’s return and Sparks’ comeback.
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