There have been plenty of promising performances from the Sparks’ key players in the first half of the season.

As a team, the Sparks haven’t been as successful as they’d like, sitting at 8-14 on the year.

However, positive progress has been made collectively and as individuals. The eight wins matches last year’s total and they are currently on a two-game winning streak.

With Rae Burrell returning and Cameron Brink expected to be back soon, the Sparks still have time to go on a run and earn their first playoff appearance since 2020.

Trading for Kelsey Plum was a great decision. She earned an All-Star nod, and with Dearica Hamby flirting with double-doubles on a nightly basis, Azurá Stevens having her best season, and young players like Rickea Jackson primed for success, the rest of 2025 could be better than what came before.

So, let’s grade each performance at the midway point of the season and give out some team awards. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

For team awards, we’ll give out Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and so on, exclusively for the Sparks.

Kelsey Plum

35.6 minutes, 20.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.1 blocks, 125-315 FG, 53-148 3PT, 119-130 FT, -43

Based on sheer production, Plum is having a career year. Her rebounds, steals and assists are at all-time highs. She is just a decimal point behind her best scoring and block averages.

The eye test only confirms these numbers. Plum is the leader of this team, and they go where she takes them. If you want to nitpick Plum’s game, she can shoot better, considering she’s converting on 39% of her field goal attempts. Plum can also be picked on a bit defensively.

Still, Plum is the best player on the Sparks and a guard they can build around as they look to rebuild and return to relevance.

Grade: A

Dearica Hamby

32.2 minutes, 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.5 blocks, 146-272 FG, 10-33 3PT, 76-124 FT, +1

Hamby has adjusted well with Plum being the focal point of the offense. She performs very well in pick and roll actions with Plum and continues to be an elite player. Hamby is the best big the Sparks have, averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

She cleans the glass well, and it seems almost greedy to ask more from the eight-year veteran.

The only aspect of her game I’d like to see more of is her 3-point shooting. By taking more of those shots, she can spread defenses a bit more, and with more attempts, we can collectively see if Hamby is a shooter.

Grade: A

Rickea Jackson

30.1 minutes, 13.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks, 86-200 FG, 17-65 3PT, 33-43 FT, -74

Jackson has had a disappointing sophomore campaign in the WNBA so far. She hasn’t improved much compared to her rookie season, and one expected to see a burst in production.

In Jackson’s defense, a new coach and missing a few games may be why she hasn’t found a rhythm just yet.

Before the All-Star break, she had her best stretch of the season, averaging 17.5 points across five games. Hopefully, this trend continues during the second half.

Grade: B-

Azurá Stevens

29 minutes, 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks, 117-232 FG, 39-96 3PT, 50-66 FT, -75

Stevens has far exceeded any expectations Sparks fans could’ve had of her entering this season. She has become a perfect player in Roberts’ system. Stevens is shooting 40% from 3-point range, while taking the second most threes on the team.

She is averaging career highs all across the board and is finally maximizing her potential here in Los Angeles. Stevens has also been a queen of consistency, playing and starting in every game for the Sparks.

Grade: A

Sarah Ashlee Barker

17.4 minutes, 3.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 24-76 FG, 15-48 3PT, 14-18 FT, -71

While the Sparks aren’t a top team, they are still in a position where it’s hard for a rookie like Barker to crack the rotation.

When players were out, she took advantage of her opportunities. Barker had 12 points and seven rebounds against the Storm back in June, but recently she hasn’t cracked double-digit minutes now that the roster is almost fully healthy.

For now, Barker needs to perform at her best during limited play until she shows a reason to earn more time on the court.

Grade: C+

Julie Allemand

22.9 minutes, 4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 17-44 FG, 12-34 3PT, 6-6 FT, +21

Allemand has been a starter for the Sparks all of July, and she’s been the perfect backcourt partner for Plum. She is a completely selfless player focused on distributing the ball to her teammates. In the two games before the All-Star break, Allemand has had 16 assists and just one turnover.

If Allemand can maintain her assist numbers, she should be a starter the rest of the way and her second half of 2025 will be even better than the beginning was.

Grade: B+

Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo, Emma Cannon, Sania Feagin

These four players have participated in eight games or fewer, so there is not enough data to assign proper grades.

For a couple of players, that could change.

Burrell injured her leg in the season opener, which is why she’s only played in six games this season. So far, she’s been a nice scoring option off the bench. If she stays healthy the rest of the way, she’ll play enough to get a grade at the end of the season.

Vanloo joined the Sparks in early June, and now that her overseas duties are done, she should be a consistent part of the rotation. She has been a fine backup guard here in Los Angeles.

Cannon and Feagin have both seen minimal play this year. Cannon is a veteran, so don’t expect that to change. Feagin is a rookie and just hasn’t had a lot of time to show what she can do.

Lynne Roberts

Roberts has done a solid job during her first year in charge of a WNBA team. She clearly wants the Sparks to play a modern game focused on spreading the floor and getting as many good catch-and-shoot 3-pointers as possible.

The wins haven’t come, but the methodology is there. Once Brink returns, we’ll see if she can find the perfect rotation to optimize the team.

Roberts will be judged not just on wins and losses, but also on how much her core players grow. Plum and Stevens are having career years, but Jackson should be improving. How Roberts can develop Brink will also be a key aspect to watch during the rest of the year.

Grade: C

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Most Valuable Player - Kelsey Plum

Plum is the easy answer for the most valuable player for the Sparks. She is the most talented, has the best numbers and plays more minutes than anyone else on the team.

Hamby is another player one could argue is the most valuable in Los Angeles. Her production remains high, and she plays a crucial role as the team’s starting big.

However, Plum clears Hamby and the rest of her peers for this award.

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Defensive Player of the Year - Azurá Stevens

This one was tough, given the defensive challenges the Sparks have. They don’t have an elite individual defender, but Steven is very solid.

She averages 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks, and has the size and length to defend multiple positions.

Once Brink is playing, she could quickly take this award from Stevens. She is an elite rim protector in the post and even coming off a serious knee injury, she’ll probably still be the team’s best defender.

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Most Improved - Azurá Stevens

This one was just as easy as the most valuable award. Stevens has improved tremendously in every category and is doing so with just a slight bump in playing time.

Unless someone like Jackson has a meteoric rise during the second half of the year, Stevens will likely be the player we consider the most improved Spark in 2025.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.