While the expansion draft for the Tempo and Fire and free agency could cause some serious changes to the Sparks’ roster, a few players seem set to return: Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson. The latter two are still on their rookie contracts. Plum and Hamby would have to re-sign in free agency, but both seem ready to do just that.
If both re-sign, the goal for the 2026 season is clear: make the playoffs. The Sparks just narrowly missed the playoffs last season. Failing to make the postseason again with a core of Plum, Hamby, and Jackson would be bad for the Sparks. Plum is the best player on that roster, so it is crucial that she comes into the next season ready for a great campaign.
Unrivaled is the perfect stage to set Plum up for an important WNBA season. Not only will she leave Unrivaled in great shape, but she also views it as an opportunity to work on her game.
“It’s a great opportunity because you can choose to develop or you can choose to stick with what you know,” Plum said after Phantom’s win over the Lunar Owls. “And I think that the challenge is to be disciplined and say, ‘Hey, these are the things I’m going to work on this offseason, and I’m going to go out there and try them in the game.’ And I think that’s how great players try to push themselves creativity-wise, try new things, and this is the perfect opportunity to do that.”
Plum also added that she wanted to get better at getting over screens and her high paint game. If the Sparks can get Kelsey Plum in great shape, confident, and with some new and improved skills in her bag, it could be enough to power them to a playoff spot. Unrivaled already had a similar impact on Azurá Stevens last year, who improved vastly as a 3-point shooter and overall scorer.
Plum’s Unrivaled debut was delayed, but didn’t disappoint
Plum was originally supposed to play in Unrivaled’s first season, but ultimately decided to opt out due to personal reasons. So, her debut had to wait until this January. It was worth the wait. Plum was relatively quiet in her first game, finishing with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Breeze. Nevertheless, it was a fun matchup between Plum and WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
One game was all Plum needed to get accustomed to Unrivaled’s unique style of play. She dropped 38 points on very efficient shooting, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 steals on the Lunar Owls in a decisive 94-60 win.
As a strong two-way guard, much like Chelsea Gray, Allisha Gray, or Brittney Sykes, Plum is the kind of player who can really thrive in Unrivaled. If she can continue to be one of the best offensive guards in the league, she and Aliyah Boston could lead Phantom to a lot of success.