DHJ Quick Take: Kelsey Plum Active, Wings Down Two Bigs at the Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks get leading scorer Kelsey Plum back, while the Dallas Wings will be without two frontcourt players for Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup matchup.
- Wings Out: Awak Kuier (right wrist), Li Yueru (left ankle) and development player Costanza Verona (coach’s decision) are out for Dallas.
- Lineup Shift: Maddy Siegrist starts alongside Jessica Shepard with the frontcourt thinned.
- Sparks Boost: Kelsey Plum returns to the starting five after a three-game absence, and Rae Burrell is also available.
- The Stakes: The 6-3 Wings carry a three-game streak into a matchup with the 4-5 Sparks.
LOS ANGELES — Both rosters are set for Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup matchup between the Dallas Wings and the Los Angeles Sparks, with the Sparks getting leading scorer Kelsey Plum back and the Wings down two frontcourt players.
The matchup pits the surprising Wings (6-3), winners of three straight, against the Sparks (4-5), who are returning to closer to full health.
Dallas Wings Down Two Bigs
Forward Awak Kuier (right wrist) and center Li Yueru (left ankle) are both out, along with development player Costanza Verona (coach’s decision). Yueru, listed as doubtful earlier in the week, was downgraded to out, and Kuier has not played since May 28.
With the frontcourt thinned, Dallas will start Maddy Siegrist alongside Jessica Shepard up front, in a five that also includes Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Arike Ogunbowale. The absences leave more of the interior load on Shepard against a physical Sparks front line of Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby.
Kelsey Plum Returns for the Sparks
Plum returns after missing three games, a significant lift for a Sparks team that went 1-2 without her. Through the first six games, she led the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game while shooting a career-high 58.9% from the field and 48.8% from 3-point range, including a 38-point night against Las Vegas on May 23. She sprained her ankle in practice three days later.
Forward Rae Burrell, who turned her ankle in the final seconds of Tuesday’s loss, is also available, and Los Angeles will start Plum and Erica Wheeler in the backcourt with Ariel Atkins, Ogwumike and Hamby up front.
Plum pushed to return quickly, telling reporters that she had been sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and undergoing red light therapy to be ready for the Wings.
“It just feels like a security blanket now that she’s back,” Sparks forward Cameron Brink said Friday. “She’s the head of the snake for us.”
How to Watch
The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Arike Ogunbowale Preaches ‘Game-By-Game’ Approach As Dallas Wings Face Los Angeles Sparks
- Azzi Fudd Emphasizes ‘Clogging The Paint’ As Dallas Wings Visit High-Scoring Los Angeles Sparks
- ‘They Really Execute Their Sets’: Paige Bueckers On The Dallas Wings’ Keys vs. Los Angeles Sparks
- ‘We Found Our Momentum’: Streaking Dallas Wings Chase A Fourth Straight Win At The Los Angeles Sparks
- Dallas Wings Release Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu From Developmental Contract
- Dallas Wings’ Jessica Shepard Named WNBA Western Conference Player Of The Week
- ‘She Was Aggressive’: Aziaha James Scores Season-High 18 Points In Dallas Wings’ Rout Of Seattle Storm
- ‘Not A Pretty Basketball Game’: Dallas Wings Grind Out 79-56 Win Over Seattle Storm For Best Start Since 2016 Move To Texas
- Dallas Wings’ Awak Kuier To Be Evaluated In One Week With Wrist Injury
- ‘Communication Solves A Lot Of Problems’: Elite On Offense, The Dallas Wings’ Next Step Is Defense
