Kelsey Plum takes less than supermax in free agency to help Sparks build roster

The Los Angeles Sparks have already made some aggressive moves during WNBA free agency. LA will reunite with Nneka Ogwumike in 2026, bringing the franchise legend back after her two-year stint in Seattle. Now the Sparks have inked their other superstar player to a new contract before the 2026 season.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum has signed a one-year, $999,999 deal with LA per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Plum was eligible to receive a supermax contract of $1.4 million under the W’s new CBA. However, she decided to sign with the Sparks at a discounted rate to give the team financial flexibility. Plum hopes that decision will help LA build a championship-caliber roster.

The Sparks gave Plum a core qualifying offer on April 8th, which gave them exclusive negotiating rights with the four-time WNBA All-Star.

LA traded for Plum during the 2025 offseason, adding some veteran talent to a young roster that really needed it. Plum proved her value right away in 2025, averaging 19.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

LA is already hard at work building the roster around Plum.

The Sparks brought back star Dearica Hamby on a three-year, fully guaranteed deal worth close to $3.5 million. The team also signed veteran guard Erica Wheeler to provide some depth on the bench. Wheeler played for the Sparks in 2021 and spent the 2025 season with Ogwumike on the Storm.

Now the Sparks have a mixture of established veterans like Plum, Ogwumike, Hamby, and Wheeler to pair with their young talent including Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.

It will be fascinating to see if LA makes more free agency additions before the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday. The Sparks do not have a first-round pick, with their first selection coming at 20th overall.

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