Kelsey Plum Makes Bold Promise on Sparks' Playoff Chances

Los Angeles is currently 4-9 through its first 13 games of 2025. It looks to get back in the win column on Saturday against Minnesota after two blowout losses on June 14 and 17, respectively.

Plum recently joined Sparks' legend and Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie on the latest episode of the "Between the Lines" podcast — and was brutally honest when discussing the Sparks' early-season struggles.

"It's been tough. I'm not going to lie, I don't like losing, I don't want to get Molly-whopped on national TV," Plum said. "But Lisa, I promise you, on my deathbed we are going to get there… You got to build and chip away, and that doesn't happen overnight.

"I do have a lot of faith in this roster and I expect us to make a run, especially July, August, trying to clinch a playoff spot," she continued.

The two-time WNBA champion has had a myriad of success since joining the league in 2017. However, overcoming early challenges also greatly shaped her professional basketball journey, she said.

"I look back on my first seven years in the W, and I'm very grateful for the amount of adversity that I've had to overcome, because I think you just build a security within yourself of who you are, and it can't be shaken based on external circumstances," Plum said. "When I was drafted to San Antonio, it was a hot mess.

"And a lot of times when you're drafted No. 1, you have a lot of support and insulation to be able to fail, but in a way that is growing your game, growing your confidence," she added. "And that necessarily wasn't the case for me. And so I had to  just get it out the mud. And I struggled immensely.”