WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie Explains Sparks Need to ‘Fit Around’ Kelsey Plum

There is a lot of intrigue about former Las Vegas Aces superstar Kelsey Plum will fare in her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks after getting traded there this past offseason.

Given that Los Angeles hasn’t made the WNBA playoffs since 2020, there’s hope that, over time, Plum can bring Los Angeles women’s basketball back to its former glory. This former glory is owed largely to the legendary Lisa Leslie, who spoke with Women’s Fastbreak on SI about how Plum fits in with the Sparks in a May 2 interview.

“I think Kelsey is a leader. She’s a champion, and an Olympian. So when you have a person with that type of pedigree, I don’t think it’s about her fitting into the Sparks. I think it’s how the Sparks fit around Kelsey Plum,” Leslie said.

“I think she really becomes the focal point of the team and a facilitator, whether she plays the one or the two. Her ability to score the ball, but make people around her better. She knows what it looks like to win. And there are a lot of young players [on Los Angeles], so I think when you think about the experience that those players have, and then you add Kelsey who, she’s fiery, she’s a winner, she’s a fighter, all of those things, are really pieces that you need to get to a championship caliber team.

“And so I don’t know if they have all the pieces necessary in terms of like winning a championship this year,
but I think they’re building in the right direction when it comes to players,” Leslie added of the Sparks.

Plum’s first impression with the Sparks will come during a May 6 WNBA preseason game against the Golden State Valkyries.