Kelsey Plum Gives Injury Update, Sparks Return Timeline at WNBA All-Star Weekend

Kelsey Plum will be absent from this year's WNBA All-Star Game.

The Los Angeles Sparks star said Thursday that she won't participate in the game because of a lower leg injury, but she expects to return to action next week.

Plum also announced on Instagram that she won't be playing in the game, saying that she's "super excited" for Phoenix Mercury star Kahleah Copper to take her place.

Plum, who is in her second season with the Sparks, suffered a lower leg injury on June 21, and the team said she'd be re-evaluated in four weeks. It's unclear whether Plum has undergone testing on the injury yet.

Before the injury, Plum had been playing well, putting up 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game on 52.7 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from deep through 12 games. She was second in the league in scoring and sixth in assists at the time of her injury.

Plum has made the All-Star Game in five consecutive seasons and was the All-Star Game MVP in 2022. She's surely disappointed to have to miss the game, but getting back on the court is far more important at the moment.

The Sparks have gone 2-8 without Plum and have lost five straight, dropping them to 10-16 on the year. Los Angeles is sitting in 11th place in the WNBA standings, but there's still a chance it can rally back and make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The Sparks' success depends heavily on Plum's health, so she'll look to return to action on Tuesday when Los Angeles returns from the All-Star break.