WNBA: Are changes coming after the Sparks missed the playoffs again?

Despite the Los Angeles Sparks beating the Phoenix Mercury 88-83 on Tuesday, the Seattle Storm’s one-point win over the Golden State Valkyries means LA is eliminated from postseason contention.

Head coach Lynne Roberts made it clear that making the playoffs was the team’s goal, but they fell short of that accomplishment. While Los Angeles ends the year with an undoubtedly bitter taste in their mouths, there was still a lot that went right in a year where they won’t see playoff action.

What went right in Los Angeles?

The Sparks took a big risk trading the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to acquire Kelsey Plum—and it paid off. Plum was a superstar for the Sparks, averaging 19.7 points, 3.1 rebound and 5.7 assists per game entering Tuesday’s action.

She is leading the franchise in scoring and in minutes played, logging 35.1 in 41 games. Plum made the All-Star team and is a top candidate to be an All-WNBA player. Dearica Hamby also played well this year. Despite Plum taking over the offense, Hamby found a way to remain equally as effective. She is averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds, and remains a vocal leader for the Sparks both on and off the court.

With these two veterans and young stars like Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell taking steps forward, the future in Southern California certainly appears bright.

What went wrong in Los Angeles?

While there were plenty of positives for the Sparks, one aspect that was awful was their team defense. They had a defensive rating of 108.2, which was the fourth-worst in the WNBA.

Stars like Paige Bueckers had a field day against Los Angeles this season. Bueckers set a rookie record in points with 44, while Alyssa Thomas earned two of her triple-doubles against the Sparks. Los Angeles also gave up the second-most second-chance points in the league with 11.7 points per game. This inability to stop their opponents from scoring nerfed the positives that came from their high-powered offense.

An awful defense mixed with an exciting offense equals a mediocre product, which is why the Sparks are currently 21-22 and on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

Another issue LA suffered from was a lack of roster depth. Over the past month, only seven players averaged 10 or more minuets per game. Considering that the roster was essentially fully healthy and in win-now mode, this means Roberts only trusted two players, Brink and Julie Vanloo, to play extended minutes off the bench. There aren’t many WNBA teams that can have sustainable success with only a pair of reserves playing real minutes.

What’s next for Los Angeles?

The only thing we know for sure is that change is coming to the Sparks. While progress has been made, the team remains flawed and their defense is unacceptable.The weaknesses this roster possesses extend beyond effort or coaching; player personnel needs to change to reach a base level of quality required to compete in the always challenging, ever-changing WNBA.

Now that Roberts has completed her rookie campaign as a WNBA head coach and has a full year of data, the real work begins. The LA front office will have to determine which players to protect for the expansion drafts, which players are part of the future and which ones they can live without seeing in a purple and gold uniform in 2026.

The good news is that Los Angeles is no longer in rebuild mode and is now a retooling team.

However, if they want to become title contenders once again, they will need to have an even better offseason than this regular season. Or else they’ll quickly return to eyeing top draft picks instead of playoff positions.