Kelsey Plum will miss four weeks of play for the Los Angeles Sparks, the team announced today. Plum suffered an injury to her lower left leg, something that may have been related to a previous right ankle sprain from earlier this season.
In a line that's beginning to seem like it's going to shape the team's 2026 season, the Sparks are yet again facing having to deal with an injury at a difficult time. Los Angeles has continuously begun to display momentum only to have a key player — Plum, Nneka Ogwumike, and others have all missed time this season — miss games due to injury.
It's currently unclear if the injury will impact Plum's ability to participate in the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, assuming the four-time All-Star is voted to a roster this season, though it seems unlikely she will be able to play.
Kelsey Plum's latest injury will impact her MVP possibilities
Perhaps even more devastatingly, this injury will all but definitely rule Plum out of MVP contention this season. Though four-time winner A'ja Wilson is this year's frontrunner, Plum's 2026 season has definitely been shaping up to pose a serious threat. An absence of several weeks is all but impossible to come back from in terms of MVP voting.
The Sparks may also be forced to pivot how they play this season, and to adjust their expectations. While the team still has a very strong roster, Plum is a key component when it comes to their playoffs goals. Los Angeles can rely on Ogwumike, as well as Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell, but Plum's absence will still leave an outsized gap.
Plum's injury became apparent during the team's game against the New York Liberty on June 21. That game saw Ogwumike pull off a huge buzzer beater three-pointer to win the match, exactly the kind of momentum that could have carried the team to more wins this week and in the future. Plum didn't have the best night that game, and it's possible that the Sparks will find ways to replicate what worked for them in the weeks to come.
Los Angeles has a slate of tough games coming up that will nearly immediately make it clear what they'll be capable of. They travel to Toronto to face the Tempo Thursday, then will travel down to Indiana to meet the Fever. The Sparks then return home to host the Storm, the Fever, and the Sky.
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