Latest news with #OdysseySims
Yahoo
4 hours ago
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Kelsey Plum gets major injury update for Lynx clash
The post Kelsey Plum gets major injury update for Lynx clash appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Sparks begin a three-game road trip starting with a matchup against the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday. The Lynx have been the best team in the Western Conference this season, but it appears as if the Sparks have help on the horizon. Star guard Kelsey Plum was not listed on the Sparks' injury report for Saturday, the team announced. Advertisement Kelsey Plum's omission from the injury report suggests that she is set to make her return to the Sparks' lineup against the Lynx. Plum was sidelined for the team's game against the Seattle Storm on Tuesday due to what was listed as a leg injury. Prior to the game, head coach Lynne Roberts acknowledged that the team did not have a potential timetable for Plum's return. In a related move that also signals Plum's return, the Sparks waived Grace Berger. Berger had been signed to a hardship contract in Plum's absence, and made her debut during Tuesday's loss to the Storm. Veteran guard Odyssey Sims, who has been starting alongside Plum in the backcourt, was still listed as being out due to personal reasons. Prior to the team's game against the Storm, Roberts was honest about the team's mindset despite multiple key absences in the rotation. 'I've learned through the years that you just have to keep plugging along. And the bigger deal I make of it, then the bigger deal the players make of it. We're not going to use any excuses. We certainly have hit some adversity, but that's part of sports,' Roberts said. 'Sometimes you just feel like you can't catch a break. But you just keep getting up and chopping wood, and you will catch a break.' Advertisement Plum has appeared in 12 games in her Sparks debut at just about 36 minutes per game. She's been averaging a career-high 20.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.7 steals with splits of 38.4 percent shooting from the field, 37.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 89 percent shooting from the free-throw line. The Sparks originally acquired Plum in an offseason sign-and-trade involving the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm. Her addition to the roster signaled a shift towards winning now. The team has missed the postseason in four consecutive years now. As the Sparks embark on their three-game trip, they currently sit at 4-9 and in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. They had brief momentum, winning two of three games, but have dropped two straight amid the injuries and absences. Related: Sparks coach Lynne Roberts drops truth bomb on seldom-used rookie Related: Kelsey Plum's teammate explains controversial Sparks fan interaction
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
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Sparks sign veteran guard amid multiple players out
The post Sparks sign veteran guard amid multiple players out appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Sparks came into their matchup against the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday a little short-handed. Julie Allemand is away from the team as she participates in Eurobasket for the Belgium national team, and Odyssey Sims was a late scratch from the lineup due to personal reasons. That left the team very thin in the backcourt. The Sparks made a roster move to address that with the signing of veteran guard Shey Peddy, the team announced. Advertisement The addition of Shey Peddy was a hardship contract, temporarily allowing the Sparks to make a roster move with multiple players out. Sims' being out for the game against the Lynx gave the Sparks only eight available players. The signing now brings the Sparks' active roster to nine players. In the WNBA, teams are allowed to add players past the maximum of 12 in the form of hardship contracts if they don't have enough active players. The No. 23 overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, Peddy did not make her league debut until the 2019 season as a free agent with the Washington Mystics. Prior to that, she had carved out an extensive career playing professionally overseas. Peddy's last season in the WNBA was in 2023 with the Phoenix Mercury. She appeared in 18 games that season at a little over 15 minutes per game. She averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists with splits of 36.9 percent shooting from the field, 34.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 80 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Peddy played a total of one and half seasons for the Mystics, and three and a half seasons for the Mercury. Her best season to date was in 2022 when she started 24 of 34 games for the Mercury, averaging a career-best 9.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals. She gives the Sparks a veteran presence off the bench with the temporary absences of Sims and Allemand. Advertisement The Sparks have shown better consistency as of late, winning two of their last three games. In their most recent win against the Las Vegas Aces, Rickea Jackson had a breakout game to lead the way. Related: Rickea Jackson reveals key factor behind breakout game vs. Aces Related: Sparks make crucial roster move on key reserve ahead of Eurobasket
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
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Sparks make hardship contract addition amid lineup absences before taking on Storm
The post Sparks make hardship contract addition amid lineup absences before taking on Storm appeared first on ClutchPoints. Amid injuries and overseas commitments, the Los Angeles Sparks have signed Grace Berger to a rest-of-season hardship contract, the team announced on Tuesday. Advertisement Berger, a third-year player out of Indiana, was most recently a member of the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx waived her before the start of the season. She was a member of the Indiana Fever in 2023 and 2024, playing a total of 47 games and averaging 3.9 points per game in 13.3 minutes. From the Sparks' perspective, Berger is a welcome addition as the team has a slew of players from its normal roster unavailable. Los Angeles lists five players on its injury report for its next game, Tuesday night against the Seattle Storm. Julie Allemand is away at EuroBasket while Odyssey Sims is away from the team for personal reasons. Meanwhile, Cameron Brink is still working her way back from her ACL injury, while Kelsey Plum (Leg) and Rae Burrell (Knee) are nursing injuries themselves. Under normal circumstances, that would leave the Sparks with only seven available players, necessitating Berger's addition. The Sparks also signed Shay Peddy to a hardship contract on June 14. Advertisement Berger will face Mackenzie Holmes, her former Hoosier teammate, in her first game with the Sparks on Tuesday night. The Storm signed Holmes to a contract on Monday. Sparks' Cameron Brink calls for expanded rosters Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Between the normal wear-and-tear of a WNBA season and overseas commitments like EuroBasket, teams around the league are making temporary additions. As Brink has pointed out multiple times, that wouldn't be quite as necessary if the W allowed for more than 12 players on a roster. She said on her 'Straight to Cam' podcast on Monday that roster expansion should be a bigger priority than adding expansion teams. Advertisement 'I think now rosters need to be expanded before you know we add any more expansion teams,' she said. 'Like we've had, you know, three people out. Now we're at 10 people. It puts a lot of strain on people that are signed into hardships, you know all of that.' Brink's guest, Sue Bird, agreed, but cautioned that it's more complicated than it sounds. With a limited salary cap, expanding rosters would mean lower pay for the other players on the team. It will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion as the WNBPA negotiates the next WNBA CBA. Related: Why Sparks' Kelsey Plum isn't playing vs. Storm Related: Cameron Brink calls for WNBA roster overhaul while pushing back on expansion
Yahoo
a day ago
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Why Sparks' Kelsey Plum isn't playing vs. Storm
The post Why Sparks' Kelsey Plum isn't playing vs. Storm appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Sparks will play the Seattle Storm at home on Tuesday night, however, they will be without a number of key players including guard Kelsey Plum. On Monday night, the Sparks released their official injury report for the game on X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement Plum is dealing with a left lower leg injury and she has been ruled out as a result. Cameron Brink (left knee) and Rae Burrell (right knee) are also out. Additionally, Odyssey Sims is not with the Sparks for personal reasons while Julie Allemand is not with the Sparks due to an overseas commitment. Los Angeles will need a complete team effort in order to defeat Seattle on Tuesday evening. Earning a victory with five players unavailable is difficult, especially when one of those players has performed at an MVP level throughout the '25 campaign. Plum, who is in her first season with Los Angeles, is averaging 20.9 points, 5.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per outing so far in 2025. She is shooting just 38.4 percent from the field, but her 37.4 three-point shooting percentage is respectable. The Sparks need Plum on the floor. LA is a better team when she is leading the offense. Advertisement Overall, the Sparks hold a 4-8 record. Los Angeles is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. LA has endured an up and down season for the most part up to this point. The Sparks have dropped two of their past three games in recent action. As for the Storm, Seattle's 6-5 record is good for third place in the Western Conference, trailing only the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury. Seattle will enter Tuesday's game with confidence against a Sparks team that is missing a number of impactful players. Updates will continue to be monitored and provided on Kelsey Plum's injury status as they are made available. Related: Cameron Brink calls for WNBA roster overhaul while pushing back on expansion Related: Sparks sign veteran guard amid multiple players out
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shey Peddy ready to make the most of Sparks opportunity [Exclusive]
The post Shey Peddy ready to make the most of Sparks opportunity [Exclusive] appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Sparks have been hit with a recent wave of injuries and absences including a leg injury to star guard Kelsey Plum whose timeline for a return is currently unknown. With the number of available players on the active roster slipping to only eight players, the Sparks signed a pair of players, including veteran guard Shey Peddy, to hardship contracts. Advertisement In addition to Shey Peddy, the Sparks also added third-year guard Grace Berger and both players will remain on hardship contracts with the Sparks until the team returns to the requisite number of active players. With Plum's return unknown and Odyssey Sims away from the team for personal reasons, it's not clear when that will be. In Peddy's case, she's a veteran who has played for a couple of teams and is used to having different teammates. It's one of the reasons why her early transition to the Sparks hasn't been as challenging as it may have been for younger players. 'I think it helps that a lot of the players I've played against or are friends of mine. . .the league is not that big so you kind of already know each other. That helped a lot,' Peddy told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. 'That made the transition easier. I think it's being a vet. I don't have as much nerves. When you're a rookie, a little younger, you've got to scope everybody out. I am who I am, everybody knows who I am. I kind of just fit in and just go like that.' Shey Peddy's approach to her hardship contract with the Sparks is crucial for the younger guards on the roster. With Plum and Sims out and Julie Allemand at Eurobasket, the Sparks are left with only three available guards; Peddy, Berger and Sarah Ashlee Barker. Berger is only in her third season and Barker is a rookie. Advertisement A steady hand like Peddy, whose WNBA career has spanned five seasons along with a lengthy career overseas with some of the same players, can help ease the transition amidst the shuffling roster. 'Just being a leader, whether it's controlling the game, the tempo, making sure we're all set up, just making sure everything's going and getting people in their right spots,' Peddy said. 'We got nothing to lose, just go out there and have fun. You guys are young, I'm new, together we're gonna make it work. . .We're all in this together regardless of how we got here, how long we've been here, we gotta make the most of it.' Shey Peddy's role for the Sparks Shey Peddy's first game with the Sparks was on Saturday in the team's loss to the Minnesota Lynx. She played seven minutes off the bench and finished with three points, one rebound and two assists while shooting 1-of-2 from the field. She got in late Friday night and was essentially thrown to the fire from the get-go as the Sparks needed available players. Advertisement But for a vet like Peddy, while her initial debut felt slightly overwhelming considering the circumstances, she feels like she was able to settle in as the game went on. After her first practice with the team, she has a better grasp as to what's expected of her on the court. 'Honestly when I got out there, I just had to put all my emotion to the side and just play. Before, it was overwhelming, and even afterward just really settling in that I had just played a whole game in less than 24 hours of finding out,' Peddy said. 'But now I had a little more time to talk to the team, we had a practice yesterday so that felt good. I'm gonna just try to go out there and do the best I can.' Peddy earned the start at point guard in her second game with the Sparks, a loss to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. She looked more comfortable with her new teammates than she did in Saturday's game, and she helped the team get off to a good start in the first quarter. She finished with six points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. She knocked down her lone three-pointer of the game and got four attempts at the free-throw line, converting on three. On a hardship contract, Peddy's time with the Sparks is limited and the duration unknown. But while she's on the roster, she's confident she can bring winning habits on the court. Advertisement 'Just organize the offense a little bit better and obviously play defense. That's what I'm known for. To be out there, be a pest with whoever I'm gonna guard,' Peddy said. 'Try to control them as best I can, make it hard for them, and knock down some shots. Know when to be aggressive, know when to pull it back, just having a really high IQ out there.' Related: Sparks rookie drops brutally honest Kelsey Plum admission Related: Kelsey Plum's injury return remains a question mark, per Sparks coach Lynne Roberts
