Plum credits – After a 1-3 start to the season, the Los Angeles Sparks have begun a road swing 2-0 with a 101-95 win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Kelsey Plum singled out Cameron Brink’s two-way impact and Rae Burrell’s resilience and bench spark, praising how
When the Los Angeles Sparks arrived on their current road swing after a disappointing 1-3 start. the hope was simple: find something—anything—that could turn the season around quickly. The answer came with a 101-95 win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. and it came with a clear message from Kelsey Plum afterward.
Plum acknowledged she has been “on a tear” to start the season, delivering her usual All-Star level of play. But she was equally direct about what the Sparks needed most to get past a champion: major contributions from Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink.
Brink’s night was the kind that changes how a team looks at the floor. Moved into the Sparks’ starting lineup in place of Nneka Ogwumike—who was sidelined due to a hand injury—Brink showed up as a force on both ends. Before ultimately fouling out. Brink finished with a season-high 16 points and eight rebounds. while also anchoring the Sparks defensively in the paint.
Burrell’s impact ran on a different track, but it was just as vital. She came off the bench for the second straight game after head coach Lynne Roberts made a lineup shuffle when Ariel Atkins returned from concussion protocol. Burrell delivered 10 points and played strong perimeter defense. giving Los Angeles a steady jolt at the times games tend to tilt.
Plum’s take was not subtle. In her postgame press conference, she said an argument can be made that Brink and Burrell are the team’s most important players this season. She added that credit for Burrell in particular matters most—because of what her role has required.
“Rae’s one of those players that she’s not afraid of the big shot. She’s gonna take it in stride. I was just really proud of her. It’s really hard as someone that has been taken out of the starting lineup and put on the bench, that’s not easy. I really commend her for her resilience,” Plum said.
Plum also tied Burrell and Brink to a bigger pattern she’s seen in winning teams.
“Like X-factors. we talked about Cam. but Rae is really going to be the difference for us this year because a lot of times in great teams you play. the starting lineup is even and it’s really the bench that has the most impact in terms of. in my experience. of winning big games and then going on a playoff run. So Rae and Cameron, you can make the argument they are the biggest pieces for us.”.
Brink’s role has been well documented early in the season. Burrell’s, though, can get overlooked when people focus only on the Sparks’ younger core. She is the longest-tenured player on the roster, drafted by the franchise in 2022 and playing with the Sparks ever since.
Los Angeles has continued to invest in her development, selecting her for the WNBA’s time-off bonus this past offseason. She also had a breakout performance at Unrivaled, building anticipation heading into her fifth season in the league.
The fit alongside the starters seemed natural once the Sparks’ final roster was hammered out. But during the slow start. Roberts cited a need for more firepower off the bench as one reason for the adjustment. Now that the Sparks have had “a couple of games” with the changed rotation. Roberts believes Burrell’s move to the second unit has helped unlock her.
“I think everybody but Vegas has added new pieces. key pieces through this new CBA and free agency and draft and everything. so we’re all still trying to figure it out in all the ways. rotations being one of them. ” Roberts said prior to the Sparks’ game against the Aces. “Everything’s fluid … bringing some punch off the bench, Rae does whether she starts or she comes off the bench. She brings that life and that punch and I thought we were lacking that.”.
Roberts also made it clear that nothing about the rotation is treated as a permanent decree.
“Rae’s good enough to start and it’s just at this point with what we need as we’re figuring things out. that’s the way it is. Does it free her up. maybe a little bit playing agains the other’s team’s second unit or against the bench. But I think Rae does what she does whether it’s starting or coming off the bench and that’s bring energy. She can put pressure on the rim. she can offensive rebound like crazy. so I love what she brings for us.”.
Since moving to the second unit, Burrell has been averaging 11 points while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from the 3-point line.
For now, the Sparks have found momentum on this road trip. After the 1-3 start to the season, Los Angeles has begun the swing 2-0. The latest chapter came against the Aces, with Plum’s All-Star play putting a stamp on the win—and Burrell and Brink shaping the path to get there.
Los Angeles Sparks Las Vegas Aces Kelsey Plum Rae Burrell Cameron Brink Nneka Ogwumike Ariel Atkins Lynne Roberts WNBA 101-95 win
Brink fouled out?? That’s the most “Aces gonna Aces” thing ever.
So they were 1-3 then suddenly 2-0 on the road? Sounds like vibes fixed everything. I didn’t realize Atkins was coming off concussion protocol too.
Wait I thought the Aces were the defending champs, but it’s like they just got bullied in the paint? Brink 8 rebounds and 16 points and then fouls out like… okay but how did they win by 6 then? Also “Rae Burrell bench spark” feels like marketing lol
This reads like that classic story where the star says “we need more from these two” and then it happens one game later. Like sure, Brink had a season-high but everyone says that every time. If Ogwumike is out with a hand injury, then it’s not really a fair comparison to the rest of the season, right? Anyway I’m just glad the Sparks finally did something.