LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Sparks received a major injury scare Tuesday after star guard Kelsey Plum sustained an ankle sprain during practice and had to be helped off the court by teammates.
The Sparks announced that Plum suffered the injury during practice and will be re-evaluated in one week.
“Kelsey Plum sustained an ankle sprain during practice today,” the team said in a statement. “She will be re-evaluated in one week. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.”
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts told reporters after practice that the injury appeared to involve Plum’s ankle, though the severity was not immediately known.
“It looks like an ankle injury,” Roberts said. “We don’t know how bad.”
Multiple reports from practice indicated Plum appeared to injure her right lower leg area before being helped off the floor by several players. The injury comes at a difficult time for the Sparks, who have relied heavily on Plum’s production early in the 2026 WNBA season.
Plum, a four-time WNBA All-Star, has been one of the league’s most dominant offensive players this season, leading the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game entering Tuesday. She has also served as the focal point of the Sparks’ offense while helping lead the franchise through a transition period under Roberts in her first season as head coach.
The injury raises immediate questions about the Sparks’ lineup and offensive production should Plum miss extended time. Los Angeles has leaned on her perimeter scoring, playmaking and veteran leadership throughout the opening weeks of the season.
Plum joined the Sparks in the offseason in one of the WNBA’s biggest roster moves and quickly became the centerpiece of the franchise’s rebuild. Her strong start had already generated early MVP discussion around the league.
The Sparks have not yet announced whether Plum will undergo additional imaging or if she is expected to miss upcoming games. The team said further updates would be provided following her re-evaluation next week.