With Kelsey Plum running the point and fellow All-Star Dearica Hamby anchoring the frontcourt, the Sparks believe they're built to win now.

Los Angeles plays the Phoenix Mercury after Azurá Stevens scored 21 points in the Sparks' 89-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

Last year, Plum averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 assists a game for Las Vegas. In her first game of the new season, she went for 37 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range while adding six assists and five steals as L.A. defeated the Golden State Valkyries by 17 points.

Coach Cheryl Reeve – who’s headed the Lynx since 2010 – said the Sparks got it right with Roberts, a modern-minded coach with an appreciation for three-points-is-more-than-two analytics, though perhaps not the natural shooting depth at her disposal to fit that notion.

The WNBA opens up its season Friday night as the Los Angeles Sparks visit the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Before the Sparks’ game against the Valkyries, head coach Lynne Roberts provided an update for Brink, saying that while she’s making progress, there is no definitive timetable for her return. Brink suffered a season-ending ACL injury about one month into her rookie season.

The Minnesota Lynx roared to a 2-0 start with an 89-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday night. It was their second straight role playing the spoiler to start the season, having marred Paige Bueckers' WNBA debut in the Dallas Wings' home opener on Friday and then doing the same to the Sparks in L.A.

The Golden State Valkyries host the Los Angeles Sparks in the first regular season game in franchise history. Follow for updates.

It's an exciting time for WNBA fans, but it also means more subscriptions to track. Here’s our explainer on the LA Sparks' 2025 schedule.

The Sparks, who gave Lynne Roberts her first win behind Kelsey Plum’s 37 points, host 2024 WNBA finalist Minnesota on Sunday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.