Kelsey Plum credits Bill Laimbeer for important lesson before Sparks return vs. Fire

LOS ANGELES – Amid swirling trade rumors, Los Angeles Sparks All-Star guard Kelsey Plum is slated to make her return to the court as the team visits the Portland Fire on Sunday. Plum has been sidelined for the past 12 games due to a lower leg injury, but she participated in practice on Thursday morning where she revealed her plans to return to the court, albeit coming off the bench for the Sparks.

Not only will Kelsey Plum join the Sparks’ second unit in her injury return against the Fire, but she will also be on a minutes restriction. What that minutes restriction is, however, has yet to be determined. Prior to the injury, Plum was turning in an MVP-caliber season, but shifting to a bench role for the time being is not something that’s new to her.

During her first three seasons in the league, Plum was mostly a starter with the Las Vegas Aces, coming off the bench in only 16 out her first 90 games. But in 2021, then Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer moved her to the bench, and it resulted in Plum putting career numbers and winning the league’s Sixth Player of the Year Award. Reprising that role with the Sparks is something she’s looking forward to.

“I got to credit Bill Laimbeer. He was the one that put me on the bench and it really helped my game. And for USA basketball, that’s something I’ve done really well, just coming off the bench and bringing energy,” Plum told a small group of reporters following Sparks’ practice on Thursday. “I don’t really care what happens on Sunday in terms of the points or anything like that. I’m just grateful to be back playing basketball. I love this game and it’s been really tough, really tough to just sit out and heal. But I understand the process so I’m looking forward to hooping.”

Plum has missed a total of 15 games this season, with the last 12 of them due to the recent left leg injury. The Sparks have gone 3-12 in the games she’s missed. The team is 7-5 with her on the court. There are 17 games remaining in the regular season with the Sparks sitting at 10-17 and five games behind the Washington Mystics for the eighth and final playoff spot.

There is still a belief in the Sparks’ locker room that the team can mount a serious push in the last couple of months of the season. But to do so, the mentality needs to be focusing on one day at a time, one game at a time no matter how cliche that is. The only thing the Sparks can control is the game that’s directly in front of them.

“It’s one game at a time. Obviously there’s a little bit of a gap in the standings, but you got to chip away,” Plum said. “I hate to sound like I’m just reiterating but be where your feet are. Next game up.”

The Sparks are embarking on a three-game road trip beginning with the Fire matchup and then culminating in back to back games against the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings.

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