Kelsey Plum injury update: Mercury star out vs. Sparks, won't face former team

A little more than a week after Kelsey Plum was traded from the Los Angeles Sparks to the Phoenix Mercury, the five-time WNBA All-Star guard was set to return to Los Angeles to face-off against her former team on Tuesday, Aug 11.

However, Plum won’t be in the lineup.

Plum has been ruled out of the Mercury’s matchup against the Sparks on Tuesday with left lower leg tightness that limited her to 14 minutes in the Mercury’s 95-75 loss to the Washington Mystics on Sunday, Aug. 9.

With 9:19 remaining in the second quarter, Plum went down near half court after Mystics guard Georgia Amoore pushed Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb into Plum, resulting in a foul on Amoore. Plum got up under her own power and returned to the game before being shut down in the second half with left calf tightness.

“We wanted to be safe,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “We’ll just see the next couple days how it looks.”

<

The veteran guard finished with five points against the Mystics, shooting 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from the 3-point line in 14 minutes of action. She rounded out her night with three rebounds and two assists.

Plum got off to a blistering start this season, but a string of injuries had limited her to 12 games in her second season with the Sparks. She missed three games with an ankle sprain suffered on May 26, and eight games after her return, she sustained a left leg injury on June 21 that sidelined her six weeks.

Her next game played was in a purple and orange jersey. Plum was traded to the Mercury on Aug. 1, and her debut came days later on Aug. 3, marking her first game since late June. Plum scored 20 points in 21 minutes in her first game with the Mercury, shooting 60% from the floor and adding four assists in the 106-101 win against the Chicago Sky.

Plum is averaging 17.3 points on 53.5% shooting from the field in her first four games for the Mercury.

Phoenix (12-22) is currently out of playoff contention in 12th place in the WNBA standings, one year removed from the team’s 2025 WNBA Finals run. The Mercury are 7.5 games out of eighth place – the final postseason berth – with only 10 games remaining in the regular season.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) receives a pass from center-forward Aliyah Boston (7) with Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) defending in the fourth quarter at Target Center on Aug. 2, 2026.

<1 / 40

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) receives a pass from center-forward Aliyah Boston (7) with Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) defending in the fourth quarter at Target Center on Aug. 2, 2026.

<2 / 40

<3 / 40

<4 / 40

<5 / 40

<6 / 40

<7 / 40

<8 / 40

Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd (35) blocks a shot by Chicago Sky guard Sydney Taylor (12) during the second half at the American Airlines Center on July 12, 2026.

<9 / 40

<10 / 40

<11 / 40

<12 / 40

<13 / 40

<14 / 40

<15 / 40

<16 / 40

<17 / 40

<18 / 40

<19 / 40

<20 / 40

<21 / 40

<22 / 40

<23 / 40

<24 / 40

<25 / 40

<26 / 40

<27 / 40

<28 / 40

<29 / 40

<30 / 40

<31 / 40

<32 / 40

<33 / 40

<34 / 40

<35 / 40

<36 / 40

<37 / 40

<38 / 40

<39 / 40

<40 / 40

It remains to be seen if Plum’s injury will affect her participation in the upcoming 2026 FIBA World Cup. Plum was named to the U.S. women’s national basketball team for the tournament in Berlin next month.

Team USA begins group stage play at the World Cup on Sept. 4, opening with a game against China. The Americans will then play Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7 before the knockout round begins. Team USA is 8-0 all-time against China, 1-1 against Italy and 2-0 against Czechia.

The WNBA season will take a pause while the World Cup is played. The gold medal game is set for Sept. 13, and WNBA games will resume on Sept. 17.

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.