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Kelsey Plum trade already paying dividends for Sparks
Guard Kelsey Plum seems rejuvenated in her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The 30-year-old guard — whom the Sparks acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Aces on Jan. 26 — scored 37 points in Los Angeles' season opener against the Golden State Valkyries, a WNBA record for a season opener.
Plum had another spectacular performance in a home game against the Chicago Sky on Sunday. She scored 28 points, grabbed two rebounds, tallied eight assists and went 6-of-10 from the three-point line in a 91-78 win.
She also mocked Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. After she blew by the 6-foot-3 forward on a layup early in the first quarter, Plum hit the "too small" celebration.
Plum Dawg starting early! https://t.co/wrOn1aFyGx pic.twitter.com/4YetO6yoCW
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 25, 2025
Plum has regained her mojo in Los Angeles, which she seemingly lost in her final season with Vegas.
In 38 regular-season games with the Aces in 2024, Plum averaged 17.8 points per game on 42.3 percent shooting from the field, the third-lowest mark of her career.
It's worth noting Plum dealt with a personal matter last season. She and former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller filed for divorce in April 2024.
The Aces also refused to make a long-term commitment to her. Before trading her, the team offered her the core designation, similar to the franchise tag in the NFL.
Since leaving Vegas, she has seemed more focused.
"I'm hungry, and I'm just looking forward to this new chapter," Plum told Amanda Lucci of Women's Health in a story published May 21. "I've never had that opportunity to have that full leadership role, so walking into it with that mentality, I'm very excited."
The Sparks are 2-3 but should start winning more games if Plum keeps flourishing. As of Monday morning, she's second in the WNBA in scoring (24.8 PPG in five games) behind Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (29.5 PPG in four games).
If Plum continues to be the Spark's driving force, they'll look even smarter for acquiring the three-time All-Star.
More must-reads:
- The best player in the WNBA right now is someone no one is talking about
- Sparks roll toward playoff spot with buzzer-beating win against Liberty
- The 'WNBA Finals MVPs' quiz
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Chicago Sky Announce Angel Reese Update for Indiana Fever Game
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese missed Thursday night's game against the Seattle Storm due to a back injury. It was the second blowout loss in as many games for the Sky, who now sit at 7-17 on the WNBA season, five losses back of a postseason spot. The injury to Reese is a concerning development for a Sky team with little to no margin for error right now. An All-Star for the second straight season, Reese has averaged 13.8 points and 12.5 rebounds in 22 games for Chicago in 2025. As they eye a date with the Indiana Fever on Sunday, the Sky have announced an official Reese update. Seen going through individual drills on Saturday, Reese was on the court seemingly testing out her back ahead of Sunday's afternoon affair in Chicago. Following her morning work, Reese was officially listed as questionable on the injury report. Reese is joined on the injury report by several of her teammates, including rookie guard Hailey Van Lith who was a surprise addition with an ankle injury. As it pertains to Reese, this update should not come as much of a surprise. While she was eventually ruled out against Seattle, she did start the day questionable, which is the same approach Chicago is taking on its latest injury report. That said, Reese not being ruled out a day in advance is good news. It indicates she has a chance to play, which also suggests the injury is not too serious — aligning with comments made by head coach Tyler Marsh who has been reiterating Reese is day-to-day with this back injury. With Caitlin Clark expected to miss this game with a groin injury, the contest could be without both she and Reese.
Titans waive former first-round pick after latest injury
Treylon Burks‘ tenure in Tennessee is on track to come to an end. In the wake of his latest injury, the former first-rounder has been waived. This move has come with an injury designation, which comes as no surprise given the broken collarbone Burks recently suffered in training camp. Injuries have plagued the 25-year-old throughout his brief NFL tenure, which began when Tennessee selected him with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft. That selection was acquired by dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles. Given the link between the two wideouts created by the trade, Burks’ evaluations have always been measured against Brown’s Philadelphia success. During each of his three seasons with the Eagles so far, Brown has earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro acclaim; the 28-year-old was also a key figure in the team’s Super Bowl success in 2025. Burks, by contrast, entered this summer on Tennessee’s roster bubble. The Arkansas product managed a career-best 444 yards as a rookie while being limited to 11 games. Optimism was high that, with better luck on the health front, he could round out his game and develop into a regular on offense with the Titans. Staying on the field has proven to be an issue, however — Burks missed six games again in 2023 and an ACL tear limited him to five contests last season — and when available he has not managed to meet expectations. The collarbone injury accelerated the timing for what could have been a decision to move on from the Titans closer to the start of the regular season. Tennessee’s receiver depth chart will once again be headlined by Calvin Ridley this season. Veteran Tyler Lockett was added in free agency, as was Van Jefferson. The Titans used the draft to add a pair of Day 3 prospects at the position (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor), and they will look to handle backup roles during their rookie seasons. Tennessee entered Monday with nearly $30M in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if one of the veterans still on the market is targeted in the wake of this move. Burks is now headed to waivers, with all teams free to claim him. Provided he goes unclaimed, he will revert to injured reserve. Situations such as these often result in a release being worked out along with an injury settlement. If that proves to be the case for Burks, his Titans stint will end on an unwanted but unsurprising note.
Bad News Brewers? Insider Gives Tigers-Eugenio Suárez Update
Are the Milwaukee Brewers still in the running for Eugenio Suárez? While it’s difficult to gauge the precise status of any Suárez-Brewers talks, one thing is clear — there are multiple contenders in hot pursuit of the Arizona Diamondbacks slugger. MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan called Milwaukee the No. 2 landing spot for Suárez on Saturday (behind the Philadelphia Phillies) and also included the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros on his list. On Monday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale provided an interesting update on the Tigers’ connection to Suárez. “The Detroit Tigers, one of the strong suitors for Diamondbacks All Star 3B Eugenio Suarez, would love to finalize a deal before Suarez leaves town Wednesday,” Nightengale wrote on Monday afternoon. “The DBacks are in Detroit for 3-game series.” Does Detroit, set to share physical proximity with Suárez over the next 72 hours, suddenly have the upper hand in the sweepstakes for the All-Star? That would be a wild development if so. Suárez and his suitors have become the leading topic amid what has otherwise been a quiet trade deadline, although analysts believe a flurry of moves will happen on Thursday with hours remaining before the literal deadline. Suárez’s recent production has only fueled the trade buzz. He’s hit 36 home runs this year and represents the most impactful bat on the market. Brewers fans are still split on whether acquiring Suárez would make a winning team better or possibly interrupt flawless chemistry. The only shocking outcome at this point would be if Suárez is still wearing a Diamondbacks uniform when August begins.
Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
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