Kelsey Plum has been one of the lone bright spots for a struggling Los Angeles Sparks team this season, but a new report is raising real questions about how much longer that arrangement will last. With the WNBA trade deadline approaching, her situation has quickly become one of the league’s most closely watched storylines.
The update comes from a reporter who has been closely tracking roster moves across the league all summer.
Is Kelsey Plum Leaving Sparks?
According to The Athletic’s Annie Costabile, Plum signed a one-year deal valued at $999,999 in free agency. But the update is that that the 31-year-old guard does not intend to re-sign with the Sparks as a free agent. She also added, “The Sparks haven’t engaged in meaningful trade talks involving Plum.”
Both Plum and her agent, Zack Miller of WME Basketball, declined to comment to The Athletic on her plans.
The report adds urgency to a decision the Sparks now have to make before Sunday’s trade deadline. Los Angeles has not engaged in meaningful trade talks regarding Plum so far this season, according to Costabile, despite her expiring contract putting the team at risk of losing her for nothing if she leaves in free agency without a trade.
The Sparks enter the deadline stretch at 10-16, losers of eight of their last 10 games and sitting four games back of the final playoff spot, putting them on track to miss the postseason for a sixth consecutive season.
Plum has continued to play at a high level despite the team’s struggles, earning her fifth straight All-Star selection while averaging a career-high 23.9 points through 12 games this season.
She joined the Sparks last year in a three-team trade that sent her from the Las Vegas Aces to Los Angeles, with Jewell Loyd going to the Aces and the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, which became Dominique Malonga, going to the Seattle Storm.
With the deadline just days away, the Sparks now face a decision that could shape the franchise for years to come. If they choose not to trade Plum, they are betting that a strong offseason pitch can convince her to stay in Los Angeles beyond this season.
If they move her instead, it would mark a significant step back for a rebuild that has already struggled to gain traction since her arrival.
The Sparks are not the only team facing tough calls before Sunday, but Plum’s situation stands out given how central she has been to the franchise both on the court and in the locker room since arriving last year.
How Los Angeles handles the coming days could go a long way toward determining whether the team is building toward contention or heading into another lengthy rebuild.
