Sparks still adjusting without Kelsey Plum with Storm on horizon

Returning home from a rough road swing, the Los Angeles Sparks will look to bounce back after a lengthy layoff when they host the Seattle Storm on Monday.

Los Angeles (8-10) dropped decisions by 28 points at Toronto on June 25 and 24 points at Indiana on June 27. The blowout losses came on the heels of the Sparks learning they would be without leading scorer Kelsey Plum for a stretch of at least four weeks.

A nine-year veteran who is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers and a career-high 23.9 points per game, Plum sustained a left leg injury that required heavy wrapping during Los Angeles' 98-97 win over New York on June 21.

"She's the best one-on-one player in the league. She's having an MVP (type of) season," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said of Plum.

Roberts lamented Plum being excluded from the starting lineup of the WNBA All-Star Game, which was determined by a combination of fan, player and media balloting. Plum finished sixth among guards in fan voting, with Los Angeles teammate Nneka Ogwumike eighth among frontcourt players.

Ogwumike is averaging 16.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in Year 1 of her second tenure with the Sparks. Ogwumike leads Los Angeles on Monday against a Seattle franchise for which she finished in the top seven of MVP voting in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Ogwumike's exit to return to Los Angeles, where she previously played from 2012-2023, is not the only change from a year ago for the struggling Storm (5-17).

Gone from Seattle's 2025 roster after sweeping offseason changes are Gabby Williams, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes and Erica Wheeler, a veteran guard who joined Ogwumike with the Sparks. Of the Storm's top six scorers a season ago, four-time WNBA All-Defensive honoree forward Ezi Magbegor is the only one still in the Seattle organization.

Magbegor, though, was sidelined for the first 20 games of the regular season with a right foot injury. She made her 2026 debut in Thursday's 90-67 loss at Phoenix, scoring eight points in 17 minutes. Magbegor followed that with four points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes of Seattle's 77-72 loss Saturday to Portland.

While the new-look Storm roster adjusted before Magbegor's return, rookie Awa Fam stepped up as one of the team's most consistent contributors. Fam is averaging 12.0 points on 51.7% shooting from the floor, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

"It's just been fun to see her growth over the last few games," Magbegor said of Fam. "She's not new to this professional life, but just to be able to see her settle into the (WNBA) is really exciting."

--Field Level Media