Kelsey Plum Is Dropping 27, But the Sparks Are Giving Up 93 and Have NO Answer

Alright, hold up, we gotta talk about what’s happening in the WNBA right now, because both the Portland Fire and the Los Angeles Sparks are in some serious trouble! We’re looking at two teams desperate for a win on Sunday, but for completely different, and equally wild, reasons. The Sparks are bleeding points even with their biggest star back on the court. And the Fire? They’re about to hit a historic losing streak that nobody saw coming. This is wild, folks!

The Sparks' Defense Is a Sinking Ship, Even With Plum Back

You’d think getting your league leading scorer back would light a fire, right? Well, Kelsey Plum returned for the Sparks on Friday after missing two games with a right ankle injury, and she dropped a cool 27 points. She even dished out six assists, right there with her 26.9 points per game season average. But guess what? Los Angeles still went down, losing a 104-96 decision at home to the Dallas Wings! Are you kidding me?

The Sparks, now at 4-6, are on a three-game skid, and the biggest issue is staring everyone in the face: they are the absolute worst defensive team in the WNBA. Seriously, 93.0 points allowed per game is not a typo! Nneka Ogwumike, who chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Wings, even said they’re all "just kind of trying to figure it out, adding new pieces." She felt "more natural" in the first half with an open floor, but hey, you can’t always outscore everyone. Coach Lynne Roberts saw "the ball moving" and "balanced scoring" with Ariel Atkins putting up 16 and Dearica Hamby adding 15, which is great for the offense, but their defense is a full-blown emergency.

Portland's Historic Skid and Turnover Troubles

On the other side, we've got the Portland Fire, who are suddenly trying to avoid their first-ever three-game losing streak! This is their debut season, and after reeling off three consecutive wins in late May, they’ve gone 1-3 since. That’s a tough stretch, especially coming off a 78-72 loss at home against the Phoenix Mercury on Friday. You want to know what happened? They shot a measly 42.1 percent from the floor and coughed up 22 turnovers, which the Mercury gleefully turned into 23 points. Yikes!

That 78-72 game was Portland’s third-lowest scoring game of the season, and get this, all three of those low-scoring outings have happened in their last five games. Their coach, Alex Sarama, who was actually named WNBA Coach of the Month for May when his team put up a 6-4 record, is all about the "process." He told The Oregonian, "I'm never gonna talk about wins or losses. That's just not my thing. It's a process. It's creating that culture." Process or not, they need some wins! Sarah Ashlee Barker, a first-round draft pick by the Sparks in 2025 before being snapped up by the Fire in the expansion draft, led them with 15 points in her first start. Karlie Samuelson had a season-high 13 points off the bench, hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Carla Leite leads the Fire overall with 14.4 points per game, and Bridget Carleton adds 13.9, but she was held to a season-low six points on 2-of-9 shooting against the Mercury. They need more from everyone!

So, get ready for Sunday, because when the Fire visit the Sparks, it’s a critical game. Portland is fighting to avoid a historic three-game losing streak, and Los Angeles desperately needs to prove they can win even with their biggest star dropping buckets. Something's gotta give, and you know we'll be watching to see who figures it out first!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.