Los Angeles Sparks came up short of their postseason goal

The Los Angeles Sparks came up short of their postseason goal, but the 2025 season was far from a failure.

Despite an 88–83 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, the Sparks were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the Seattle Storm edged the Golden State Valkyries by one point. Head coach Lynne Roberts made no secret that a playoff berth was the expectation, and while Los Angeles fell short, the season still offered meaningful progress for a franchise emerging from a rebuild.

The Sparks took a significant gamble last offseason by trading the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to acquire Kelsey Plum—and the move paid off. Plum delivered a star-level campaign, averaging 19.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while leading the team in both scoring and minutes played (35.1 across 41 games). She earned an All-Star nod and is a strong candidate for All-WNBA honors.

Dearica Hamby was equally impactful. While Plum became the focal point of the offense, Hamby remained a steady force, averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and continuing to serve as a vocal leader on and off the floor. Alongside veterans, young cornerstones Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink, and Rae Burrell showed tangible growth, reinforcing optimism about the franchise’s trajectory.

However, Los Angeles’ shortcomings were difficult to ignore—most notably on the defensive end. The Sparks posted a defensive rating of 108.2, the fourth-worst mark in the league, routinely allowing opponents to dictate games. Rookie Paige Bueckers torched LA for a record-setting 44 points, while Alyssa Thomas recorded two triple-doubles against them. The Sparks also surrendered 11.7 second-chance points per game, the second-most in the WNBA, undercutting the benefits of their potent offense.

The result was an uneven product: an explosive offense paired with a porous defense, leaving Los Angeles at 21–22 and outside the playoff picture.

Depth was another glaring issue. Over the final month of the season, only seven players averaged double-digit minutes. Even with a relatively healthy roster and a win-now approach, Roberts leaned heavily on her starters, with Cameron Brink and Julie Vanloo serving as the only consistent bench contributors. Sustainable success in the WNBA rarely comes with such limited rotation options.

While progress was evident, the flaws remain significant. Defensive lapses and roster limitations point to personnel issues that extend beyond effort or scheme. Now, with Roberts completing her first season at the helm and a full year of evaluation in hand, the focus shifts to roster decisions—who to protect in expansion drafts, who fits the long-term vision, and who may be expendable.

The encouraging news: the Sparks are no longer rebuilding. They’ve entered the retooling phase.

But if Los Angeles hopes to reestablish itself as a championship contender, the upcoming offseason must deliver more than incremental improvement. Otherwise, the franchise risks slipping back into draft-lottery conversations instead of competing deep into September.