As the news of Kelsey Plum’s injury broke, worried fans immediately began searching for answers about what may have caused it. That quickly led many to focus on one particular moment from practice that involved Nneka Ogwumike and Plum. But before the speculation could fully take over social media, an eyewitness stepped in to clear up the rumors surrounding the incident.

It all started after reporter Justin Russo took to X and shared a disheartening update for the Los Angeles Sparks fans, which read: “Kelsey Plum appeared to suffer a right lower leg injury during practice today and was helped off the floor by several players.”

While this update broke every headline, it still wasn’t clear what caused the injury. But when Russo later uploaded a video of Plum and Ogwumike having a one-on-one walking race during the same practice in which Plum was injured, several fans started wondering if that was the cause of the Spark’s star injury. However, the Los Angeles reporter quickly shut those rumors down.

“I’ve seen people speculate that this is how the injury occurred,” he wrote. “But the incident that led to Kelsey Plum leaving practice came in the structured 5-on-5 portion that was not to be filmed. The video below is from before any of the full-contact portion or skeleton work.”

That clarification immediately changed the conversation surrounding Ogwumike’s involvement. But amid all the speculation, let’s be honest about one thing: the timing could not be worse for Los Angeles.

Kelsey Plum is currently averaging 26.8 points per game, which has put her at the top of the scoring ladder in the league. So without her, Los Angeles will lose its main engine behind production.

To put things in perspective, after Ogwumike suffered a hand injury and missed the Sparks’ matchup against the Las Vegas Aces, it was Plum who led the Sparks to a win against one of the strongest franchises in the league.

So now the question is, how serious is her injury? At the moment, the Sparks still do not know the severity of this, but Russo reported that Roberts believes it “looks like an ankle” issue, and she will be re-evaluated in a week.

But if the injury turns out to be something serious, let’s take a look at who takes her position.

What the Sparks’ backcourt could look like without Kelsey Plum

The most obvious change would start with veteran guard Erica Wheeler.

Wheeler’s experience and ability to control tempo can offer the Sparks stability, which they will need if they play without their star player.

Wheeler has over 1,200 career assists and understands how to run an offense efficiently. She could slow things down, initiate sets, and create easier looks for her teammates. She currently averages 4.8 assists per game. But even if she can stabilize the offense, somebody still has to take on the scoring pressure Kelsey Plum will leave behind.

And that’s where Ariel Atkins comes in.

The Sparks already rely heavily on Atkins as one of their best two-way players, but if the situation demands, she would likely have to take on an expanded role, especially after flashes like her back-to-back third-quarter triples against Phoenix.

Atkins has the defensive pedigree to stay on the floor in every situation. That makes her the clearest option to become Los Angeles’ primary perimeter threat if Plum is unavailable.

Beyond the veterans, the injury could also force the Sparks to accelerate the development of their younger guards. But all of these remain just contingency plans for now, as fans are yet to get more clarity on Kelsey Plum’s injury.