When the Sparks acquired Kelsey Plum, they signaled they were ready to leave last season behind, and at the start of training camp, their newest superstar is making that clear.
“With all due respect, we finished last last year, so everything that we did last year was thrown out the window,” Plum said Sunday in Torrance, where the Sparks opened training camp. “I was brought here for a reason.”
After another offseason spent rebuilding a once-proud franchise, Plum is leading the charge. She came to L.A. not only to change the team’s fortunes on the court with her playmaking ability, but also to bring the leadership she demonstrated during her championship tenure in Las Vegas, helping establish a winning culture.
“It’s the turn of a new leaf in a lot of different ways, in leadership and investment in the franchise,” Plum said. “That’s why I decided to come here.”
Plum, an All-Star for the third straight season last year, is coming off a top-10 scoring season, averaging 17.8 points per game. But more importantly, she’s transitioning from a 27-win team and a WNBA semifinal appearance to a squad that finished with just eight wins and landed in last place in the league.
But before the Sparks can become a winning team, a cultural shift is necessary, and Plum is spearheading that change by leading by example and uplifting those around her.
When players lined up for three-point shooting after sprints, Plum was the first to catch and shoot, setting the tone for the drill. After practice, she stayed on the court, working alongside first-round pick Sarah Ashlee Barker and former first-rounder Cameron Brink, focusing on ball movement and post play.
By the end of day one, she’s already seeing her efforts take shape, confident that hard work will rise to the top — and her dedication will push her teammates.
“Changing the culture, that’s a day-to-day process,” Plum said. “That’s not something that you can rush. There’s a lot of young talent…I’m excited about the opportunity, and I’m excited about the potential this team has.”
Despite being a two-time champion and widely recognized as an “alpha,” first-year head coach Lynne Roberts says Plum’s leadership style is free of arrogance or ego, driven solely by her sheer competitiveness. As Plum enters a new environment and begins establishing herself with her new teammates, they are already gravitating toward her.
Roberts is giving Plum the freedom to establish herself as the team leader, allowing her to strike a balance between being a quiet and vocal leader — leading by example with her work ethic while also speaking up when necessary.
“Kelsey is different, and I mean that in the biggest compliment,” Roberts said. “Just everyone being around her, it’s going to elevate them in terms of how they prepare themselves, how they work and how they handle it.”
The Sparks open camp with 18 players on their roster, only seven returning from last season. Both Roberts and Plum emphasized that the struggles of previous years are in the rearview mirror, making way for a fresh start this training camp with a shared desire to be better.
“The players are eager to get this franchise back where it belongs, and so there’s a definite commitment,” Roberts said. “In conversation I’ve had, and even today, for them to just play their tails off and compete.”
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