The Los Angeles Sparks failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing ninth in the WNBA with a 21-23 record.
Heading into the offseason, the team will have to wait until May, when the regular season begins. However, Kelsey Plum has new plans and will seek to make history in Unrivaled Basketball.
Plum will debut in Collier and Stewart’s league
The Sparks star will take advantage and join the league co-founded in 2023 by Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty before playing her eighth year in the WNBA.
Unrivaled announced her addition on Wednesday, after she prioritized rest last year and canceled her participation shortly before the debut season began.
“Last year wasn’t the time for me to play, I just needed to rest, just really reset,” Plum said, according to The Athletic. “I’m in a different place in my life now and I’m just really excited to go out to Miami and ball out.”
This unique three-on-three full-court league seeks to not only compensate its players financially, but also provide a great opportunity to train during the WNBA offseason.
Unrivaled Basketball’s second season will kick off on January 5 in Miami, and 46 of the 48 players who will be participating have already been announced. Of those, 30 are returning from Year 1, while 16 are first-time players.
Kelsey will see familiar faces from the Sparks, as several of her teammates are returning for the second season, including Rickea Jackson (Mist), Azura Stevens (Rose), Dearica Hamby (Vinyl), and Rae Burrell (Vinyl). Cameron Brink, who played for the Lunar Owls but was out due to injury, also joins the roster.
Kelsey arrives after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals with LA. Joining Plum are new players such as MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell, ROTY Paige Bueckers, and Veronica Burton, the Most Improved Player.
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