While the Los Angeles Sparks ended up winning the tight contest against the Seattle Storm 88-83, Kelsey Plum jokingly revealed the situation with her body following an ankle sprain last month.

According to reporter Justin Russo, Plum told head coach Lynne Roberts, “I ran out of juice at the end,” as Roberts sat down. “It’s understandable,” Roberts jested back to a smirking Plum.

Regardless of Plum's statement, she is slowly coming back to her usual form, as she finished the night with 19 points, 11 assists, and 4 steals, although her efficiency took a hit with only 6-of-17 from the field and 2-of-9 from the three-point line.

Plum was making a huge case for an MVP season before her unfortunate injury. She is now overtaken by none other than four-time MVP A'ja Wilson in the offensive scoring leaderboards, averaging 25.9 points per game.

But Plum is still not far off with 24.8 points per game, and with plenty of games left to play in the regular season, the competition between the two is expected to drag on throughout.

"In her second season in Los Angeles, Plum has been the offensive engine for the Sparks as they've integrated a number of veteran players," wrote ESPN's Kendra Andrews.

Wilson will always be the favorite to clinch the award for the fifth time in her career, but should Plum continue her scoring form and help the Sparks reach the playoffs for the first time in five years, anything is possible.

While Plum starts her climb to the top once again, the Sparks have also found the talents of Nneka Ogwumike, who can potentially lift off the pressure from Plum from time to time.

Nneka Ogwumike Helps the Sparks Level on Wins and Losses

With the victory against the Storm, the Sparks are back to .500 for the season. Apart from Plum's brilliance in scoring and playmaking, forward Nneka Ogwumike also rose to the occasion with a season-high 24 points against her former team.

Ogwumike added 9 rebounds to move to fourth in the WNBA career rankings, passing Rebekkah Brunson. She also shot perfectly from the line, as the Sparks secured the victory late in the fourth quarter.

In addition to the two scoring leaders, Cameron Brink added 15 points off the bench, Erica Wheeler scored 10, and Dearica Hamby grabbed 10 rebounds for the Sparks in the Commissioner’s Cup game.

The Sparks' next challenge comes in the form of last year's finalists, the Phoenix Mercury (4-9), as Roberts' team looks to go over 0.500 for the season on Saturday night.

So, with Kelsey Plum returning to her best, do you think the Los Angeles Sparks can gain momentum by winning the Commissioner's Cup this year? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy