At least the Sparks have a silver lining.
They won’t get embarrassed on their home court on Tuesday night.
Just over a week after trading Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 1, the Sparks (12-19) will face the five-time WNBA All-Star’s new team at the Galen Center in a neutral-site matchup, and the two franchises’ last head-to-head of the regular season.
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The Sparks last faced Phoenix on July 22 at Crypto.com Arena – with the Sparks succumbing to their fifth consecutive loss, 86-82, amid a would-be six-game skid. The loss dropped the Sparks to 2-9 with Plum injured, sidelined by a lower left leg injury.
With Phoenix, Plum recorded 20 points in 21 minutes against the Chicago Sky on Aug. 3, her first appearance with the Mercury – coming over a month since her last appearance with the Sparks on June 21.
The two-time WNBA champion followed with a 19-point performance in 26 minutes against Atlanta on Wednesday and a 25-point showing against the Connecticut Sun on Friday before injury, yet again, limited Plum’s contributions on Sunday.
Plum did not appear in the second half of the Mercury’s 95-75 loss to the Washington Mystics, playing just 14 minutes before eventually being ruled out with tightness in her left calf.
Plum came off the court on Sunday after a collision in the first half, but she did return to the floor before the intermission.
As of midday Monday, the Mercury (12-22) had yet to report Plum’s status ahead of Tuesday’s game.
After the Sparks’ four-point loss on July 22, Coach Lynne Roberts seemed to suggest the result would have been different with Plum – who recorded 43 points against the Mercury on June 13 – on the court.
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“We’re going to get KP (Plum) back soon,” Roberts said in July. “That’ll be a boost when you get somebody that can make plays. That’ll help.”
On Sunday, the Sparks trailed the Golden State Valkyries by 19 in the fourth quarter before trimming the deficit to one, but ultimately fell, 84-78, and moved to 5-13 over their last 18 contests.
“We need to start plays higher,” guard Erica Wheeler said. “In the beginning, she (forward Nneka Ogwumike) barely touched the ball or her shots weren’t going in. And once Nneka’s going and Dearica (Hamby) is going, the game is a little different. … It’s my job to put them in position to score, and that’s what we did. I just wish it happened a little earlier.”
The Sparks were also without Monique Akoa Makani on Sunday – the only player they received for Plum, with additional compensation coming in the Mercury’s 2027 first-round draft pick and their 2028 second-round pick.
The Sparks had yet to announce Akoa Makani’s status ahead of Tuesday’s game.
The Sparks, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, sits six games behind the eighth-place Dallas Wings for the final playoff spot with 13 games left in the regular season.
“It’s our job, man,” Wheeler said. “We wake up to play the game that we love. Things happen. Changes happen. At the end of the day, you got to move on from it and lock in on the people that’s right next to you, on the side of you. And that’s what we’ve been doing.”
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MERCURY AT SPARKS
When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Where: Galen Center
TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA TV