A little bit greater than every 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 towards her former workforce on Tuesday, Aug 11.
Nevertheless, Plum will not be within the lineup.
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Plum has been dominated out of the Mercury’s matchup towards the Sparks on Tuesday with left decrease leg tightness that restricted her to 14 minutes within the Mercury’s 95-75 loss to the Washington Mystics on Sunday, Aug. 9.
With 9:19 remaining within the second quarter, Plum went down close to half court docket after Mystics guard Georgia Amoore pushed Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb into Plum, leading to a foul on Amoore. Plum received up below her personal energy and returned to the sport earlier than being shut down within the second half with left calf tightness.
“We wished to be protected,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts stated. “We’ll simply see the following couple days the way it appears to be like.”
EXCLUSIVE: Kelsey Plum’s ‘open guide’ begins with a bang in Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury guard Kelsey Plum, heart, reacts after being injured on a play towards the Washington Mystics as teammates DeWanna Bonner, proper, Valeriane Ayayi, left look on throughout a recreation on Aug. 9.
The veteran guard completed with 5 factors towards the Mystics, capturing 2-of-7 from the sphere and 1-of-5 from the 3-point line in 14 minutes of motion. She rounded out her night time with three rebounds and two assists.
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Plum received off to a blistering begin this season, however a string of accidents had restricted her to 12 video games in her second season with the Sparks. She missed three video games with an ankle sprain suffered on Could 26, and eight video games after her return, she sustained a left leg harm on June 21 that sidelined her six weeks.
Her subsequent recreation performed was in a purple and orange jersey. Plum was traded to the Mercury on Aug. 1, and her debut got here days afterward Aug. 3, marking her first recreation since late June. Plum scored 20 factors in 21 minutes in her first recreation with the Mercury, capturing 60% from the ground and including 4 assists within the 106-101 win towards the Chicago Sky.
Plum is averaging 17.3 factors on 53.5% capturing from the sphere in her first 4 video games for the Mercury.
Phoenix (12-22) is at the moment out of playoff rivalry in twelfth place within the WNBA standings, one 12 months faraway from the workforce’s 2025 WNBA Finals run. The Mercury are 7.5 video games out of eighth place – the ultimate postseason berth – with solely 10 video games remaining within the common season.
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
Connecticut Solar ahead Diamond Miller (1) defends towards the Los Angeles Sparks within the second half at PeoplesBank Area in Could 30, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut.
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
Los Angeles Sparks guard Likelihood Grey (2) is fouled by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Younger (0) as she drives to the basket through the second half at Crypto.com Area on June 2, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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2026 WNBA season is underway. See photographs from the league’s thirtieth 12 months
Atlanta Dream ahead Angel Reese (5) drives to the basket towards Indiana Fever center-forward Aliyah Boston (7) within the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 4, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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It stays to be seen if Plum’s harm will have an effect on her participation within the upcoming 2026 FIBA World Cup. Plum was named to the U.S. ladies’s nationwide basketball workforce for the match in Berlin subsequent month.
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Staff USA begins group stage play on the World Cup on Sept. 4, opening with a recreation towards China. The People will then play Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7 earlier than the knockout spherical begins. Staff USA is 8-0 all-time towards China, 1-1 towards Italy and 2-0 towards Czechia.
The WNBA season will take a pause whereas the World Cup is performed. The gold medal recreation is ready for Sept. 13, and WNBA video games will resume on Sept. 17.
Contributing: Mitchell Northam
Attain USA TODAY Nationwide Girls’s Sports activities Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and observe her on X at@CydHenderson.
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Kelsey Plum harm replace: Mercury star out vs. Sparks, will not face former workforce
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